Why Nursing Theories Are Organized Concepts That Guide Nursing Practice

For centuries the development of nursing knowledge has been influenced by numerous theorists and their respective theories. These theories have influenced, and continue to influence, nursing education, practice and research. (Johnson & Webber, 2005)

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

designed to guide the practice of nursing” (Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing, 2012). Nursing theories can help patients, managers and other healthcare professionals to recognize what and how much that nurses do contribute to the healthcare field. I never did realize how important theories in nursing practice could be until I became a nursing student myself. Nurses use theories in their everyday practice, but never think about them as being

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.

Nursing is a unique profession which is built upon theories that guide everyday nursing practice. According to Taylor, Lillis, & Lynn (2015), “Nursing theory differentiates nursing from other disciplines and activities in that it serves the purposes of describing, explaining, predicting, and controlling desired outcomes of nursing care practices” (p. 27). Many nurses may unknowingly apply a theory or a combination thereof, along with critical thinking to get the best outcome for a patient. Theories are used in practice today because they have been supported by research and help the profession uphold its boundaries. Most nursing theories consist of four concepts which are the patient, the environment, health, and nursing. Each patient is at the center of focus and they have the right to determine what care will be given to them using informed

Nursing was, for my sixteen year old self, taking care of the sick. Little did I know the complexities of that definition. Still, taking care of the sick was interesting enough to make nursing my major. I started practicing nursing years ago. However, I still struggle defining and explaining my profession to others. I usually start by differentiating nursing from medicine. Nurses see patients as humans rather than a disease that needs treatment (Zaccagnini & White, 2014, p. 15). However, as I advance my career, I must actively incorporate nursing theory into my practice. Nursing theory gives a foundation to understand patients and their health problems better. The use of nursing theory provides a framework to evaluate nurses’ interventions on a higher standard (Zaccagnini & White, 2014). Kenney described five steps to follow once the decision to include nursing theory has being made. This paper will explore the process of applying the Kenney’s five steps into my practice.

Nursing is a unique profession which is built upon theories that guide everyday nursing practice. According to Taylor, Lillis, & Lynn (2015), “Nursing theory differentiates nursing from other disciplines and activities in that it serves the purposes of describing, explaining, predicting, and controlling desired outcomes of nursing care practices” (p. 27). Many nurses may unknowingly apply a theory or a combination thereof, along with critical thinking to get the best outcome for a patient. Theories are used in practice today because they have been supported by research and help the profession uphold its boundaries. Most nursing theories consist of four concepts which are the patient, the environment, health, and nursing. Each patient is at the center of focus and they have the right to determine what care will be given to them using informed

Since the early years nurses have initiated many ideas that impact how we care for our patients that allows for many positive outcomes for patients and the collaborative teams that are involved in the patients care. In the nineteenth century three women stand out as trailblazers in the nursing field, Nightingale, Seacole, and Robb (In Snowden, In Donnell, & In Duffy, 2010, p.22). While none of the three nurses could be considered actual theorist at that point in time most of nursing theory can be found in their work. The foundation of what we learn in nursing school has evolved from a nursing theorist. Whether it may be something as simple as having sanitary conditions for the injured that was first introduced by Florence Nightingale.

“Nursing theory aims to describe, predict and explain the phenomenon of nursing” (Colley, 2003, p. 33); therefore, nursing theory is the scaffolding on which nurses stand to build and remodel nursing practice. This is a symbiotic relationship because nursing theory builds the nursing practice and as practice expands the scaffolding must, in turn, grow as well. As such, the investigation into practice and research keep informing the practice and profession of nursing. Ultimately this leads to more effective patient care utilizing evidenced-based

Nursing theories form the supportive framework on which our patient care relies on (Alejandro, 2017). It is not only the foundation of the nursing discipline but, it defines of we practice. If nurses lack that foundation, new knowledge development within nursing will decline. They are very important for Masters and advanced practice nursing students who are preparing to

There are many different nursing theories that are significant to nursing practice, because they help nurses to examine what is already known, and what additional knowledge and skills are required in variety of nursing situations. They provide basis for nursing practice, as well as some additional tools, that help with delivery of better care to patients and caregivers. Finally, nursing theories improve professional status for nurses and provide guidance and direction for research and education (Colley, 2003).

Given that nursing is a hands-on, professional 'practice,' to speak of nursing 'in theory' may at first seem like a contradiction in terms. However, nursing theory is an important tool, offering the practitioner in the field a way to better make decisions. Theory acts as a guide to practice. Of course, in nursing, theory is never subsumed to the specifics of a case. Unlike philosophy or literary theory, no theory can stand apart from the realities of the need to treat a patient effectively. But nursing theory can be helpful in dealing with unexpected situations. Nursing theories consist of "concepts, definitions, models, propositions and are based on assumptions" of deductive and inductive logic (Nursing theories: An overview, 2012, Nursing Theories).

An important role and function of nursing is to provide competent and individual centered care. Striving to provide this level of care has lead to the development of several nursing theories focused on care. Nursing theorist Kristen Swanson developed a middle ranged caring theory, which is broad and easily applied in nursing practice. Swanson’s definition of caring is, “a nurturing way of relating to a valued other toward whom one feels a personal sense of commitment and responsibility” (Swanson, 1991, p.165). This paper explores Swanson’s caring theory, its application to providing nursing care for patients, why I chose this theory over several others, how fits with personal philosophy as a nursing student, and a clinical case example.

Nursing has evolved greatly as a profession. Nursing has become an independent practice with its own theory practice, models and distinct interventions (George, 2011). Through the years, nursing leaders have developed many nursing theories that guide our practice today. Their research and contributions to the nursing profession has shaped our present-day practices. This paper will delineate the historic development of nursing science, focusing on the most widely known and used theories. This paper will also canvass the influences of these concepts in the development of the nursing profession, and multidisciplinary influences.

Throughout the history of nursing, many theories have been developed by nurses to explain certain concepts and phenomena. By identifying these systems of ideas, nurses can better understand the relationships between concepts and use them in the clinical setting. This method of thinking ultimately helps guide evidence-based practice. Understanding the ideas and concepts behind these nursing theories are vital to the development of professionalism and knowledge that are beneficial in the improvement of care that nurses provide for their patients. Considered a middle-range theory, the uncertainty in illness theory was first published in 1988 by a Professor of nursing named Merle Mishel, who has distinguished uncertainty as a stress-producing factor in an illness situation and how patients cope based on their perception or meaning of their illness. Uncertainty has been defined by Mishel (1988) as “the inability to determine the meaning of illness-related events”, and it arises when the “decision maker is unable to assign definite value to objects or events, or is unable to predict outcomes accurately” (as cited in Blais & Hayes, 2011, p. 111). In other words, uncertainty is a thought process that the patient is in where their current understanding of their illness is insufficient to help them understand what their illness means to them. Mishel’s uncertainty theory was influenced using information from Lazarus and Folkman’s theory concerning stress and coping, which had