THEORETICAL FOUNDATION IN NURSING • Virginia Henderson – “is to assist clients in

the performance of activities contributing to

What is a theory?
health, its recovery or peaceful death that
- Theory is an organized system of accepted clients will perform unaided, if they had the
knowledge that is composed of concepts, necessary will, strength or knowledge”.
propositions, definitions and assumptions • Association of Deans of Philippine
intended to explain a set of fact, event or Colleges of Nursing (ADPCN) – Nursing is
phenomena. “a dynamic discipline. It is an art and a science
of caring for individuals, families, groups and
4 components of Theory communities geared toward promotion and
1. Concepts – is defined as an idea formulated restoration of health, prevention of illness,
by the mind or an experience perceived and alleviation of suffering and assisting clients to
observed such as justice, love, war, and face death with dignity and peace. It is focused
disease. Concepts are the building blocks of on assisting the client as he or she responds to
theories. Concepts may be abstract or concrete. health-illness situations, utilizing the nursing
• Abstract concepts – are indirectly process and guided by ethico-legal moral
observed or intangible. It is principles.
independent of time and place. What are Nursing Paradigm?
Examples are love, care, and freedom.
• Concrete concepts – are directly 1. Person – The recipient of nursing care like
observed or tangible. Examples are individuals, families and communities.
nurse, mother and pain. 2. Environment – The external and internal
2. Propositions – Explains the relationships of aspects of life that influence the person.
different concepts. An example of which are 3. Health – The holistic level of wellness that the
children who do not want to stay in the hospital person experiences
because of their fear of injections. 4. Nursing – The interventions of the nurse
3. Definitions – is composed of various rendering care in support of, or in cooperation
descriptions which convey a general meaning with the client.
and reduces the vagueness in understanding a
Meta – a Greek word which means “with”
set of concepts. A good example would be the
definition of Nursing formulated by Peplau. Paradigm – which means “pattern”
4. Assumptions – is a statement that specifies
What are the different types of theories
the relationship or connection of factual
according to function?
concepts or phenomena. An example is the
assumption that all patients who are not able to 1. Descriptive Theories also known as Factor-
take good care of themselves need nurses. Isolating Theories are known to be the primary
level of theory development. They identify and
What is Nursing?
describe major concepts of phenomena.
• American Nursing Association (ANA) – However, they do not explain the relationship
Nursing is the “diagnosis and treatment of of the concepts.
human responses to actual or potential health 2. Explanatory Theories or Factor-Relating
problems Theories are the type of theory that present
• International Council of Nurses (ICN) - relationship among concepts and propositions.
Nursing encompasses “autonomous and These theories aim to provide information on
collaborative care of individuals of ali ages, how or why concepts are related.
families, groups and communities, sick or well 3. Predictive Theories, otherwise known as
and in all settings. Nursing includes the Situation-Relating Theories, are achieved when
promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the relationships of concepts under a certain
the care of ill, disabled and dying people. condition are able to describe future outcomes
Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, consistently.
research, participation in shaping health policy 4. Prescriptive Theories also called Situation-
and in patient and health systems Producing Theories deal with nursing actions,
management, and education are also key and test the validity and certainty of a specific
nursing roles.” nursing intervention.
Characteristics of a Theory The scientific method includes several steps:

• Theories can correlate concepts in such a way 1. Observation – Integration of knowledge

as to generate a different way of looking at a and/or phenomenon by a rational/sentient
certain fact or phenomenon. being.
• Theories must be logical in nature. 2. Gathering Information/data – Recognition
• Theories should be simple but generally broad and collecting data for a particular scientific
in nature. problem or inquiry.
• Theories can be the source of hypotheses that 3. Forming Hypothesis – An attempt to explain
can be tested for it to be elaborated. or suggest a nature of a phenomenon.
• Theories contribute in enriching the general 4. Experimental Investigation – A set of
body of knowledge through the studies examinations done to solve the particular query
implemented to validate them. raised through the hypothesis process.
• Theories can be used by practitioners to direct 5. Conclusion or Theoretical Explanation – A
and enhance their practice. statement explaining a set of natural
• Theories must be consistent with other phenomena or a scientific query derived from
validated theories, laws, and principles but will Experimental Investigation.
leave open unanswered issues that need to be
What is Knowledge?
tested.
Knowledge can be defined as:
What is Philosophy in Nursing?
• Information, skills and expertise acquired by a
- Philosophy is the next knowledge level after
person through various life experiences, or
metaparadigm. It specifies the definition of
through formal/informal learning such as
metaparadigm concepts in each of the
formal education, self-study, vocational.
conceptual models of nursing. It sets forth the
• The abstract or workable understanding of a
meaning of phenomena through analysis,
subject or idea.
reasoning, and logical argument.
• What is known in a particular field of discipline
Conceptual definitions are the meaning of a word or study
based on how a certain theory or relevant literature • Facts and information or awareness or
perceives it to be. Examples are roles/concepts of familiarity gained by experience of a fact or
nurse, patient care, and environment. situation.
• There is however no single agreed classification
Operational definitions are meaning of a word based
of knowledge.
on the method of how it was measured or how the
person come up with that perception. An example of Types of Cognitive Process
this type is the significance of pain perception and
1. Perception – Achieving understanding of
practiced nursing intervention.
sensory data.
Theoretical models or frameworks are highly 2. Association – Combining two or more
established set of concepts that are testable concepts/ideas to form a new concept, or for
comparison.
Conceptual models or frameworks are
3. Learning – Acquiring experience, skills,
representations of an idea or body of knowledge based
information and values.
on the own understanding or perception of a person or
4. Reasoning – Mental process of seeking.
researcher on a certain topic, phenomena or theory.
5. Communication – Conclusions through
Science reason Transferring data from sender to
receiver using different mediums or tools of
- In its broadest sense, science, from the Latin communication.
scientia, meaning “knowledge”, refers to any
systematic knowledge or practice in a discipline What are the sources?
of study. In a more casual sense, science refers
1. Traditional knowledge – is a nursing
to a system of acquiring knowledge based on
practice which is passed down from generation
the scientific method.
to generation. When asked about the basis of
the nursing practice the answer would be as
simple as “It’s always been practiced this way.”
 2. Authoritative knowledge – is an idea by a Nursing at its Beginning
person of authority which is perceived as true
• Nursing originated as an intuitive practice of
because of his or her expertise.
caring for sick family members, primarily by
3. Scientific knowledge – is a type of
women in traditional roles as wives, mothers,
knowledge which came from a scientific
daughters, and sisters.
method through research. These new ideas are
• In ancient civilizations, care often involved
tested and measured systematically using
magical thinking, superstitious and religious
objective criteria.
beliefs.
Phenomenon • Female slaves usually provided physical
maintenance and comfort for the sick, under
- A phenomenon can be defined as sets of
the orders of a master, healer or priest.
empirical data or experiences that can be
• In Egypt, the Goddess Isis and her son Horus
physically observed or tangible such as crying
were worshiped for their ability to manipulate
or grimacing when in pain.
the dreams of the sick.
Discipline – refers to a branch of knowledge with a • The Code of Hammurabi in Babylonia (1900 BC)
defined body of theoretical knowledge, principles, and documented early forms of medical service and
rules that guide the development and practice of law, although nursing roles were not clearly
nursing. It emphasizes academic study, research, and defined.
the systematic understanding of nursing concepts. • Nursing roles were mentioned in the Old
Testament, with women providing care for
Profession – pertains to the practice of nursing as a children and infants during delivery
specialized field that applies the knowledge and theories • In Greece and Rome, care of the sick revolved
from the discipline to deliver patient care. It involves around mythology, with figures like Asklepios,
practical skills, ethical standards, and accountability in Epigone and Hygea representing healing
the application of nursing knowledge in real-world • In Africa, nurses were seen as midwives,
settings. herbalists, wet nurses and caregivers for
Four Ways of Knowing children and the elderly
• Christianity influenced the practice of caring for
1. Empirics – the scientific discipline of Nursing the sick, based on the parable of the Good
2. Ethics – the moral directions of Nursing Samaritan.
3. Personal – method by which nurses approach
their patients
4. Aesthetics – or Esthetics deals with the
emphatic aspect of nursing

Types of Reasoning

1. Deductive Reasoning – A type of reasoning

that uses specific details to form a general
conclusion.
2. Inductive Reasoning – A type of reasoning
wherein general conclusions are made based
from specific concepts.

Rationalism – Rationalism makes use of reason

gained thru expert study, tested theory and established
facts to evidently prove something. Deductive type of
reasoning is used to generate rationalist view which
starts from the general to specific knowledge.

Empiricism – Empiricism makes use of objective and

tangible data or those that are perceived by the senses
(smell, sight, taste and feeling) to observe and collect
data. These data are then used to formulate general
knowledge, which is the use inductive type of
reasoning.