Introduction To Nursing Theory PDF

Introduction to Nursing Theory: Its History, and Significance PREPARED BY: JOAN BALITON-TAROMA, MSN, RN Instructor  The history of professional nursing began with Florence Nightingale. It was Nightingale who envisioned nurses as a body of educated wo...

Introduction to Nursing Theory: Its History, and Significance PREPARED BY: JOAN BALITON-TAROMA, MSN, RN Instructor  The history of professional nursing began with Florence Nightingale. It was Nightingale who envisioned nurses as a body of educated women at a time when women were neither educated nor employed in public service.  Nightingale’s pioneering activities in nursing practice and subsequent writings describing nursing education became a guide for establishing nursing schools in the United States at the beginning of the twentieth century (Kalisch & Kalisch, 2003; Nightingale, 1859/1969)  The transition from vocation to profession is described in successive eras of history as nurses began developing a body of specialized knowledge on which to base nursing practice.  Nursing began with a strong emphasis on practice, but throughout the century, nurses worked toward the development of nursing as a profession through successive periods recognized as historical eras (Alligood, 2006a).  Curriculum Era Addressed the question of what prospective nurses should study to learn how to be a nurse. In this era, the emphasis was on what courses nursing students should take, with the goal of arriving at a standardized curriculum By the mid-1930s, a standardized curriculum had been published. in this era that the idea of moving nursing education from hospital-based diploma programs into colleges and universities emerged. Emphasized course selection and content for nursing programs and gave to the long- range goal of acquiring substantive knowledge to guide nursing practice. Research Emphasis Era This era came about as more and more nurses embraced higher education and arrived at a common understanding of the scientific age, that is, that research is the path to new nursing knowledge. Nurses began to participate in research, and research courses began to be included in the nursing curricula of many developing graduate programs(Alligood, 2006a).  The Research Era and the Graduate Education Era Master’s degree programs in nursing emerged to meet the public need for nurses with specialized clinical nursing education. Many of these programs included a nursing research course. It was also in this era that most nursing master’s programs began to include courses in concept development or nursing models that introduced students to early nursing theorists and the knowledge development process (Alligood, 2006a). Theory Era ). In the early years of the theory era, doctoral education in nursing flourished with an emphasis on theory development. Theory Utilization Era emphasis was placed on middle range theory for theory-based nursing practice, as well as on theory development (Alligood & Tomey, 1997, 2002, 2006; Batey, 1977; Chinn & Kramer, 2008; Fawcett, 2005; Tomey & Alligood, 2006). HISTORICAL ERAS OF NURSING’S SEARCH FOR SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE  SIGNIFICANCE OF NURSING THEORY: DISCIPLINE: is specific to academia and refers to a branch of education, a department of learning, or a domain of knowledge. PROFESSION: refers to a specialized field of practice, founded on the theoretical structure of the science or knowledge of that discipline and accompanying practice abilities.  Nurses use theory and theory-based evidence to structure their practice and quality of care improves. They are able to not only sort patient data quickly, decide on appropriate nursing action, deliver care, and evaluate outcomes but also discuss the nature of their practice clearly with other health professionals, which is vital for nurse participation in interdisciplinary care.  Helps students develop analytical skills and critical thinking ability as they clarify their values and assumptions. Theory guides education, practice, research, and administration (Alligood, 2014;Chinn& Kramer, 2015; Fawcett & De Santo-Madeya, 2012; Meleis,2012)  SIGNIFICANCE OF DISCIPLINE The goal of developing knowledge as a basis for nursing practice began to be realized. University baccalaureate programs proliferated , master’s programs in nursing were developed, and a standardized curriculum was realized through accreditation.  Nursing had passed through eras of gradual development, and nursing leaders offered their perspectives on the development of nursing science. Nursing conceptual frameworks began to be used to organize curricula in nursing programs and were recognized as models that address the values and concepts of nursing.  SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE PROFESSION Vital to the practice of professional nursing (McCrae, 2012) Nursing is recognized as a profession today because its development was guided by the criteria for a profession.  CRITERIA FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROFESSIONAL STATUS OF NURSING 1. Utilizes in its practice a well- defined and well – organized body of specialized knowledge that is on the intellectual level of the higher learning. 2. Constantly enlarges the body of knowledge it uses and improves its techniques of education and service through the use of the scientific method. 3. Entrusts the education of its practitioners to institutions of higher education. 4. Applies its body of knowledge in practical services vital to human and social welfare. 5. Functions autonomously in the formulation of professional policy and thereby in the control of professional activity. 6. Attracts individuals with intellectual and personal qualities of exalting service above personal gain who recognize their chosen occupation as a life work 7. Strives to compensate its practitioners by providing freedom of action, opportunity for continuous professional growth, and economic security.  HISTORY OF NURSING SCIENCE HISTORICAL VIEWS OF THE NATURE OF SCIENCE 2 PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE: 1. Rationalism 2. Empiricism Each is a type of epistemology that is a theory of knowledge for understanding how to uncover the answer to a question. RATIONALISM Makes use of reason gained thru expert study, tested theory and established facts to evidently prove something. Emphasizes the use of reasoning for the main purpose of knowing the harm or benefits of an act to an individual. Emphasize the planned interventions. Deductive reasoning - used to generate rationalist view which starts from general to specific knowledge. Use of evidence based nursing. And Nursing research  EMPIRICISM Makes use of objective and tangible data or those that are perceived by the senses. These data are then used to formulate general knowledge, which is the use of inductive type of reasoning. Inductive method - Based on the idea that the collection of facts/evidence precedes attempts to formulate generalizations, or as Reynolds (1971) called it, the research- then-theory strategy.