Nursing theory is defined as ‘a creative and rigorous structuring of ideas that project a tentative, purposeful, and systematic view of phenomena’. It’s the association of related theories that introduce action that model practice. Theory refers to “a coherent group of general propositions used as principles of explanation"
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Importance of nursing theories
Importance of nursing theories: In the early part of nursing’s history, knowledge was awfully lacking and in general a difficult task from the very beginnings of any nursing education, there was a thirst and need to categorize knowledge for this exact reason, so people could evaluate client care situations in order to connect in comprehensible and essential ways.
Nursing theories give a plan for reflection in which to examine a certain direction in where the plan needs to head. As new situations are encountered, this framework provides an arrangement for management, investigation and decision-making. Nursing theories also administer a structure for communicating with other nurses and with other representatives and members of the health care team. Nursing theories assist the development of nursing in formulating beliefs, values and goals. They help to define the different particular contribution of nursing with the care of clients. its important for researches, and as a guideline for practical
Grand nursing theories
Grand nursing theories have the broadest scope and present general concepts and propositions. Theories at this level may both reflect and provide insights useful for practice but are not designed for empirical testing. This limits the use of grand nursing theories for directing, explaining, and predicting nursing in particular situations. Theories at this level are intended to be pertinent to all instances of nursing. Grand theories consist of conceptual frameworks defining broad perspectives for practice and ways of looking at nursing phenomena based on the perspectives.
Mid-range nursing theories
Middle-range nursing theories are narrower in scope than grand nursing theories and offer an effective bridge between grand nursing theories and nursing practice. They present concepts and a lower level of abstraction and hold great promise for increasing theory-based research and nursing practice strategies.
Nursing practice theories
Nursing practice theories have the most limited scope and level of abstraction and are developed for use within a specific range of nursing situations. Nursing practice theories provide frameworks for nursing interventions, and predict outcomes and the impact of nursing practice.
Nursing Models
Nursing models are usually described as a representation of reality or a more simple way of organising a complex phenomenon. Nursing model is a consolidation of both concepts and the assumption that combine them into a meaningful arrangement. A model is a way of presenting a situation in such a way that it shows the logical terms in order to showcase the structure of the original idea. The term nursing model cannot be used interchangeably with nursing theory both are different.
Components of nursing modeling
There are three main key components to a nursing model:
- Statement of goal that the nurse is trying to achieve
- Set of beliefs and values
- Awareness, skills and knowledge the nurse needs to practice.
The first important step in development of ideas about nursing is to establish the body approach essential to nursing, then to analyse the beliefs and values around those.
Common concepts of nursing modeling
There are four common concepts in Nursing Theory that control and regulate practice, these include:
- The person (Patient)
- The environment
- Health
- Nursing (Goals, Roles Functions)
Each theory is regularly defined and described by a Nursing Theorist. The main focal point of nursing out of the four various common concepts is the person (patient).
Major nursing theorists and theories
Purposely omitted from this list is that most famous of all nurses, Florence Nightingale. Nightingale never actually formulated a theory of nursing science but was posthumously accredited with same by others who categorized her personal journaling and communications into a theoretical framework.
Also not included are the many nurses who improved on these theorists' ideas without developing their own theoretical vision.