Nursing theory is defined as "a creative and rigorous structuring of ideas that project a tentative, purposeful, and systematic view of phenomena". Through systematic inquiry, whether in nursing research or practice, nurses are able to develop knowledge relevant to improving the care of patients. Theory refers to "a coherent group of general propositions used as principles of explanation".

Nursing theory

Importance

In the early part of nursing's history, there was little formal nursing knowledge. As

nursing education Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

developed, the need to categorize knowledge led to development of nursing theory to help nurses evaluate increasingly complex client care situations. 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. Nursing theory guides research and practice.

Borrowed and shared theories

Not all theories in nursing are unique nursing theories; many are borrowed or shared with other disciplines. Theories developed by Neuman, Watson, Parse, Orlando and Peplau are considered unique nursing theories. Theories and concepts that originated in related sciences have been borrowed by nurses to explain and explore phenomena specific to nursing.

Types

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 Empirical evidence for a proposition is evidence, i.e. what supports or counters this proposition, that is constituted by or accessible to sense experience or experimental procedure. Empirical evidence is of central importance to the sciences and ...

testing. This limits the use of grand nursing theories for directing, explaining, and predicting nursing in particular situations. However, these theories may contain concepts that can lend themselves to empirical testing. 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 guide theory-based research and nursing practice strategies. One of the hallmarks of mid-range theory compared to grand theories is that mid-range theories are more tangible and verifiable through testing. The functions of middle-range theories includes to describe, explain, or predict phenomenon. Middle-range theories are simple, straightforward, general, and consider a limited number of variables and limited aspect of reality.

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. The capacity of these theories is limited, and analyzes a narrow aspect of a phenomenon. Nursing practice theories are usually defined to an exact community or discipline.

Nursing models

Nursing models are usually described as a representation of reality or a more simple way of organising a complex phenomenon. The 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.

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 In ethics and social sciences, value denotes the degree of importance of something or action, with the aim of determining which actions are best to do or what way is best to live (normative ethics in ethics), or to describe the significance of dif ...

*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: a metaparadigm

A metaparadigm contains philosophical worldviews and concepts that are unique to a discipline and defines boundaries that separate it from other disciplines. A metaparadigm is intended to help guide others to conduct research and utilize the concepts for academia within that discipline. The nursing metaparadigm consist of four main concepts: person, health, environment, and nursing. *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).

Notable nursing theorists and theories

* Anne Casey: Casey's model of nursing * Betty Neuman:

Neuman systems model The Neuman systems model is a nursing theory based on the individual's relationship to stress, the reaction to it, and reconstitution factors that are dynamic in nature. The theory was developed by Betty Neuman, a community health nurse, professor ...

* Callista Roy:

Adaptation model of nursing In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their Fitness (biology), evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a stat ...

* Carl O. Helvie: Helvie energy theory of nursing and health *

Dorothea Orem Dorothea Elizabeth Orem (June 15, 1914 – June 22, 2007), born in Baltimore, Maryland, was a nursing theorist and creator of the self-care deficit nursing theory, also known as the Orem model of nursing. Education Orem received a nursing ...

Self-care deficit nursing theory The self-care deficit nursing theory is a grand nursing theory that was developed between 1959 and 2001 by Dorothea Orem. The theory is also referred to as the Orem's Model of Nursing. It is particularly used in rehabilitation and primary care ...

* Faye Abdellah: Patient-centered approach to Nursing * Helen Erickson * Hildegard Peplau:

Theory of interpersonal relations A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be s ...

Imogene King Imogene King (January 30, 1923 – December 24, 2007) was a pioneer of nursing theory development. Her interacting systems theory of nursing and her theory of goal attainment have been included in every major nursing theory text. These theorie ...

Isabel Hampton Robb Isabel Adams Hampton Robb (1859–1910) was an American nurse theorist, author, nursing school administrator and early leader. Hampton was the first Superintendent of Nurses at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, wrote several influential textbook ...

* Kari Martinsen Adequate care must involve both objective observation and perceptive response. *

Katharine Kolcaba Katharine Kolcaba (born December 28, 1944 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American nursing theorist and nursing professor. Dr. Kolcaba is responsible for the Theory of Comfort, a broad-scope mid-range nursing theory commonly implemented throughout the ...

: Theory of Comfort *

Madeleine Leininger Madeleine Leininger (July 13, 1925 – August 10, 2012) was a nursing theorist, nursing professor and developer of the concept of transcultural nursing. First published in 1961, her contributions to nursing theory involve the discussion o ...

* Katie Love:

Empowered Holistic Nursing Education Empowered Holistic Nursing Education - Mid-range Nursing Theory The Empowered Holistic Nursing Education (EHNE) nursing theory is a middle range nursing theory that was developed between 2008 and 2014 by Dr. Katie Love. It is particularly used In ...

Marie Manthey Marie Schuber Manthey (born July 17, 1935) is an American nurse, author, and entrepreneur. She is recognized as one of the originators of Primary Nursing, an innovative system of nursing care delivery. Manthey was named a Living Legend of the ...

: Primary Nursing *

Martha E. Rogers Martha Elizabeth Rogers (May 12, 1914 – March 13, 1994) was an American nurse, researcher, theorist, and author. While professor of nursing at New York University, Rogers developed the "Science of Unitary Human Beings", a body of ideas that she de ...

Science of unitary human beings Martha Elizabeth Rogers (May 12, 1914 – March 13, 1994) was an American nurse, researcher, theorist, and author. While professor of nursing at New York University, Rogers developed the "Science of Unitary Human Beings", a body of ideas that she de ...

* Ramona T Mercer: Maternal role attainment theory *

Virginia Henderson Virginia Avenel Henderson (November 30, 1897 – March 19, 1996) was an American nurse, researcher, theorist, and writer. Henderson is famous for a definition of nursing: ''"The unique function of the nurse is to assist the individual, sick or wel ...

: Henderson's need theory *

Jean Watson Jean Watson is an American nurse theorist and nursing professor who is best known for her theory of human caring. She is the author of numerous texts, including ''Nursing: The Philosophy and Science of Caring''. Watson's research on caring has been ...

Nancy Roper Nancy Roper (1918–2004) was a British nurse theorist, lexicographer and creator with Winifred W. Logan and Alison J. Tierney of the Roper–Logan–Tierney model of nursing used widely in nurse training in the United Kingdom, USA and Europe, s ...

, Winifred W. Logan, and Alison J. Tierney: Roper-Logan-Tierney model of nursing * Phil Barker:

Tidal Model The Tidal Model is a recovery model for the promotion of mental health developed by Phil Barker, Poppy Buchanan-Barker and their colleagues. The Tidal Model focuses on the continuous process of change inherent in all people. It seeks to reveal the ...

Purposely omitted from this list is

Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during t ...

. Nightingale never actually formulated a theory of nursing science but was

posthumously Posthumous may refer to: * Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death * Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death * ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987 * ''Posthumous'' (E ...

accredited with formulating some 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.

References

Nursing theory - history and modernity. Prominent theories of nursing.
* ttp://www.coxhealth.com/nursingtheoryandtheorists Nursing Theory and Theorists

External links

Nursing Theory Page

Nightingale's ''Notes on Nursing'' at project Gutenberg
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