Ways of Evaluating a Nursing Theory.

Theory is an arrangement of thoughts meant to describe something. These thoughts and ideas usually have basic principles that validate the purpose of the proposed theory. Nursing theory is a well thought out scholarly structure of concepts. These concepts are created to help guide nursing practice. They explain the fundamentals of nursing care. Multiple clinical decisions are based upon nursing theories. There are many different types of nursing theories developed primarily by nurses. Nursing theorist’s main goal is to examine nursing practice and explain the working or non-working parts

The purpose of the nursing theories is to provide an interrelating framework focusing on the nursing practice. The defined nursing theories promote better patient care, improve the status of nursing profession, and improve the communication between the nurses, and provide guidance to the researches and education (Keefe, 2011). Not all nursing theories have the same meanings; however, they play the important role of explaining the key concepts and principles of nursing practice in understanding way.

The nursing theories assist the nurses to identify the limitations of nursing and advance the development of nursing as a unique profession. The theories help to explain the role of nursing in todays health care sector. It also gives the information on the basics of nursing practice and help to create more information in various aspects of patient care. The benefits of having the theory in nursing compromise the improved patient care, therapeutic communication among nurses, It also helps for the guidance for the research and education.( Application of theory in Nursing process”).Nursing was considered under medicine before the development of theories in nursing. Use of theory gives structure and organization to nursing knowledge. Theories make nursing more purposeful. It not only focuses on practice but also improves the rationale. Nursing theory also give the definitions and clarifications of nursing. It helps to differentiate nursing from other professions; It provides professional limits for practice in nursing. . (McEwen, &. Wills, 2014). Nursing theory helps nurses to clarify, explain and look for incidents in nursing practice. Serve to guide, evaluation and assessment of nursing practice.. It helps in professional communication between, coworkers and patients. It is very useful in doing researches. In the field of education role of nursing theory is very significant. It helps for the development of curricula, and helps in

“The main purpose of the journal is to publish original manuscripts focusing on nursing theory development, nursing theory--guided practice, and quantitative and qualitative research related to existing nursing frameworks” (Ovid, 2008, p. 1).

Since I have been a nurse I never really gave much thought about any of the theories I learned in nursing school, I guess I was just so happy to finish. However, as years have expired and find myself back in school furthering my education, now I recall the importance of nursing theories. As many people or should I say nurses frequently tend to define various words through their experiences. So for the lack of cohesiveness, according to Parker & Smith (2010), a ‘theory is a frame of reference on how individuals view reality.’ A more formal definition states that a ‘theory is a group of interrelated concepts, assumptions, and propositions that explains or guides the actions of nurses in their profession (CNN, week2). The theorist I chose to discuss is Betty Neuman’s Systems Model and how her model relates to nursing.

Nursing has made a tremendous push towards being a profession during the past century. Many in the health care academia not only see nursing as an academic discipline, but also an equal colleague. This transformation is due to nursing progressing towards theory-based practice. "A nursing theory is a set of concepts, definitions, relationships, and assumptions or propositions derived from nursing models or from other disciplines and project a purposive, systematic view of phenomena by designing specific inter-relationships among concepts for the purposes of describing, explaining, predicting, and /or prescribing" (Ameen & Mutha). Theory based-practice has made nursing meaningful. Experts in the field developed, tried, and tested nursing

Nursing theories are important for nurses for our daily work as it provides us with an all-inclusive foundation to clarify and foresee issues that impact nursing care. In nursing, caring should be placed high on our priority list for our nursing practice. As nurses we must develop knowledge on research outcomes for the foundation of nursing practice. Consequently the grown and the certification of nursing theory will aid in the establishment of nursing practice. It is a source of specific individuality as it guides nursing education, research, practice, and distinguishes nursing practice from other disciplines.

Nursing theory is what connects phenomenology of nursing science with nursing practice. Theory can be grand or most commonly middle range. Some theories are borrowed and they identify new thoughts or ideas related to patient care. Theories may not always be measurable; yet, theory can still describe what nurses do. According to McEwen & Wills (2014), “It is widely believed that use of theory offers structure and organization to nursing knowledge and provides a systematic means of collecting data to describe, explain, and predict nursing practice” (p. 25). Theory provides nurses expansion of knowledge through research and practice ultimately contributing to optimal patient outcomes. Theory and theoretical models contribute to the nurses critical thinking skills and decision-making process. Theory contributes to nursing values and effective ways of delivering patient focused care. Theory should be taught across all levels of nursing education. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) encourages nurses to be partners in healthcare, leaders of change given the demands of our changing health care system and technological advances and the American Nurses Association supports the incorporation of nursing science to advance the nursing profession.

Nursing theories are organized concepts that guide nursing practice. They are a set of concepts, definitions, relationships, and assumptions with standards borrowed from other related disciplines for the purpose of explaining, and predicting outcomes (Allgood, 2010). In the late 1800s, the nursing profession placed a major emphasis on education. This inspired the development of some of our earliest nursing theorists (CCN, 2015). Many theorists felt it prudent to describe nursing practice by creating nursing guidelines as a foundation for best practice clinical decision making. In the past, the majority of nursing curriculum was medically based and taught by physicians. Nurses were introduced to physiology, anatomy and pathophysiology that allowed accreditation with academic standing (Alligood, 2010). Nursing theory came into being out of the necessity to define what should form the bases of practice by explicitly describing nursing. Nursing theory created a foundation for better patient care, gave accreditation to schools of nursing through research, and established professional nursing boundaries, by highlighting nursing as an evolving profession. These theorists continue to be used today to help guide nursing practice, which has grown into a dynamic modern day system.

Theory has so far remained a strategic tool in advanced nursing practice. Firstly, nursing utilizes every feature of management science. Fortunately, the knowledge base of each and every management science takes theory into account. Theory includes methods, principles, and concepts. The principles are usually related, and can be observed and validated or verified when translated into the practice of management. Likewise, concepts are general notions, thoughts, and ideas that tend to form a basis of discussion or action. Therefore, theoretical principles guide clinical nurses to various

Nursing theories and models are the foundation of the profession and encompass the specialized body of knowledge that is unique to nursing. Nursing theories lead efforts as a discipline to stay focused on nursing phenomena, and hence provides the roadmap for the development of knowledge and the practice of nursing itself (Pamela, 2011). Nursing theories are practical in nature and facilitate communication with colleagues, students, and any others in health-related services (Marlaine, 2015).

“Nursing theorists are the men and women in the nursing field who develop models of nursing. Often, they don't set out to develop a nursing theory, instead, they simply want to help improve nursing care for their patients, and the theory develops as a result. Once a method is established as a theory or model of nursing, it is integrated into the practice of nursing, as well as added to the study of nursing.”

Theories are establish, delineate, and define the profession of nursing. They are the key to setting policies, laws, and regulatory standards. For this reason, theories are altered, expanded, and improved based on current research. It is necessary to be updated on the most recent, accurate, and informative theories. Overtime new theories are developed to benefit the recipients of health care. The current state of health care affairs changes overtime. Theories reflect these issues which are paramount to nurses. There are three major reasons to get abreast of nursing theories.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction, purpose, and rational for selecting a nursing theory. I will describe the theory by identifying the purpose, concepts/definitions, relationships/structure, and assumptions. I will use the Chinn & Kramer evaluation criteria to critique this chosen theory. Finally I will describe a plan for implementing the theory into my practice setting, identifying any barriers and challenges.

Nursing science provides the basis for professional nursing practice. Nursing theories provide the critical thinking structures to direct the clinical decision- making process of professional nursing practice. The relationship between theory, research, and practice is circular in nature. As new knowledge and discoveries emerge in each of these realms, the cutting edge of the art and science of the discipline of nursing evolves.