COMPONENTS OF NURSING THEORY

CONCEPT
Building blocks of theories which can either be an empirical or abstract data.
Describes a phenomenon or a group of phenomenon.
PROPOSITION
Explains the relationships of different concepts.
DEFINITION
Composed of various descriptions which convey a general meaning and reduces the
vagueness in understanding a set of concepts.
ASSUMPTION
A statement that specifies the relationship or connection of factual concepts or
phenomena. Statements that the theorists hold as factual.
HYPOTHESIS
A tentative explanation for an observation, phenomenon or scientific problem that
can be tested by further investigation.
THEORETICAL MODEL
A highly established set of concepts that are testable.
Represents an equation that describes the path or explains the phenomenon being
observed or experienced.
PHENOMENON
Observable fact that can be perceived through the senses and explained.
Occurrence or circumstance that is observed, something that impresses the observer
as an extraordinary or a thing that appears to and is constructed by the mind.

ERAS OF NURSING KNOWLEDGE

Curriculum Era (1900-1904s)
 It emphasized on courses included in nursing programs.
 Students of nursing were taught subjects that were deemed important and relevant
to the practice of nursing.
 Goal is to develop specialized knowledge & higher education.
Research Era (1950s-1970s)
 This era emphasizes role of nurses and what to research.
Graduate Education Era (1950s-1970s)
 Emphasis is carving out in an advanced role & basis for nursing practice.
 Specialization in the healthcare sector was addressed by providing courses and
subjects in higher education for expanded knowledge.
Theory Era (1980-1990s)
 The emphasis is that there are many ways to think about nursing. Emergent goal is
that theories guide nursing research & practice.
 Nursing theories were revised based on the research findings.
Theory Utilization Era (21st Century)
 Nursing theory guides research, practice, education & administration.
 DISCIPLINE VS PROFESSION

DISCIPLINE

 Branch of education, a department of learning or a domain of knowledge.

PROFESSION

 A specialized field of practice founded on theoretical structure of the science

or knowledge of the discipline and accompanying practice abilities.

SIGNIFICANCE OF NURSING THEORY

1. It recognized nursing as an academic discipline and a profession.

2. It led to the development of a body of substantive knowledge to guide nursing

practice.

3. It guides critical thinking in nursing practice.

4. It recognizes that theory informs practice and practice informs theory.

5. It is the backbone of clinical care.

6. It is a tool for reasoning and decision-making for quality nursing practice.

7. It has taken nursing to higher levels of education and practice.

NURSING SCIENCE & THEORY IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY

RATIONALISM VS EMPIRICISM
Reason is the source of all knowledge. The senses are the source of all knowledge.

Knowledge is gained through deductive Knowledge is gained through inductive

method of reasoning. method of reasoning.
Knowledge is certain. Knowledge can ever be probable.

Uses theory-then-research strategy. Uses research-then-theory strategy.

NURSING SCIENCE & THEORY IN THE LATE 20TH CENTURY

1. Development of knowledge was mainly affected by the different nursing leaders and
theorist of the early 20th century.
2. Evolution of Nursing Science throughout the time was further studied and tested
that led to the contemporary practices of nursing.
3. Role of nurse became more defined.
4. As nursing is evolving it brings into being the different theories that guides clinical
practice. It uses evidence-based science to support the intervention performed in
the care of patients.
 STRUCTURE LEVEL OF NURSING KNOWLEDGE
1. PHILOSOPHIES OF NURSING
-It set forth the general meaning of nursing and nursing phenomena through
reasoning and the logical presentation of ideas.
-They are broad and address general ideas about nursing. Because of their breadth,
nursing philosophies contribute to the discipline by providing direction, clarifying
values and forming a foundation for theory development
-They are theoretical works that address one or more metaparadigm concepts and
are philosophical in nature.

2. CONCEPTUAL MODELS OF NURSING

- Also called paradigms or frameworks.
- It is composed of abstract and general concepts and propositions that provide a
frame of reference for members of the discipline. This frame of reference
determines how the world is viewed by the members of a discipline and guide the
members as they propose questions and make observations relevant to the
discipline
-It is a set of concepts and statements that integrate the concepts into a meaningful
configuration.

3. NURSING THEORIES
-It is a conceptualization of some aspect of reality (invented or discovered) that
pertains to nursing. The conceptualization is articulated for the purpose of
describing, explaining, predicting or prescribing nursing care.
- They vary in scope and level of abstraction:
CLASSIFICATION OF THEORIES
Grand Theories---broad concept---common and extremely complex phenomena
Middle-range Theories---narrower focus
Micro-range Theories---most narrow/concrete---situation-specific

INTERDEPENDENCE OF NURSING THEORY, RESEARCH, AND PRACTICE

 Observations in nursing practice, questions raised and conceptual models are
formulated – leads to theory development and testing through research.
 Theory interacts with and guide nursing practice.
 Research validates and modifies theory, which then changes nursing practice.

NURSING THEORY
-is interrelated or interdependent with nursing practice because it guides nursing
practice.
- A group of interrelated concepts that are developed from various studies of
discipline and related experiences. This aims to view the essence of nursing
care.
 - A complete nursing theory is one that has context, content and process.
a) Context – resembles environment to which nursing act takes place.
b) Content – subject of the theory.
c) Process – method by which nurses act in using nursing theory.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A THEORY
1. Theories can correlate concepts in such a way as to generate a different way of
looking at a certain fact or phenomenon.
2. Theories must be logical in nature.
3. Theories should be simple but generally broad in nature.
4. Theories can be the source of hypothesis that can be tested for it to be
elaborated.
5. Theories contribute in enriching the general body of knowledge through the
studies implemented to validate them.
6. Theories can be used by practitioners to direct and enhance their practice.
7. Theories must be consistent with other validated theories, laws, and principles but
will leave open unanswered issues that need to be tested.

PURPOSES OF NURSING THEORY

1. EDUCATION
-Provides a general focus for curriculum design
-Guide curricular decision making.
2. RESEARCH
-Offer a framework for generating knowledge and new ideas.
-Assist in discovering knowledge gaps in specific field of study.
-Offer a systematic approach to identify questions for study, select variables,
interpret findings and validate nursing interventions.
3. PRACTICE
-Assist nurse to describe, explain and predict everyday experiences.
-Serve to guide assessment, intervention and evaluation of nursing care.
-Provide a rationale for collecting reliable and valid data about the health status of
clients, which are essential for effective decision making and implementation.
-Help establish a criteria to measure the quality of nursing care.
- Help build a common terminology to use in communicating with other health
professionals. Ideas are developed and words defined.
-Enhance autonomy of nursing by defining its own independent functions.

SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE
1. AUTHORITATIVE
2. TRADITIONAL
3. SCIENTIFIC
First you need to know what KNOWLEDGE and COGNITIVE PROCESSES is.
KNOWLEDGE
-Facts and information or awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a
fact or situation.
-Information, skills and experience acquired by a person through various life
experiences or formal/informal learning.
- The abstract or workable understanding of a subject or idea.

COGNITIVE PROCESSES
1. PERCEPTION – achieving understanding of sensory idea.
2. ASSOCIATION – combining two or more concepts/ideas to form a new
concept, or for comparison.
3. LEARNING – acquiring experience, skills, information and values.
4. REASONING – mental process of seeking conclusions through reason.
5. COMMUNICATION – transferring data from sender to receiver using different
mediums or tools of communication.
Authoritative
-Nursing practice which is passed down from generation to generation.
-“It has always been this way”.
Traditional
-An idea by a person of authority which is perceived as true because of his or her
expertise.
Scientific
-Type of knowledge which came from a scientific method through research.
-These new ideas are tested and measured systematically using objective criteria.