THEORY  describe the activity necessary to measure the

 Origin: THOERIA: speculate constructs, relationships, or variables within a

 set of statements that tentatively describe, theory (Chinn and Kramer, 2004)
explain, or predict relationships among Assumptions
concepts that have been systematically selected
and organized (power and knapp, 1995)  statements that describe the relationship of
 serves as guides for nursing action in concepts or connect two concepts that are
administration, education, research, and factual
practice  taken for granted statements that determine
 well-substantiated explanation of some aspect the nature of the concepts, definitions,
of the natural world; an organized system of purpose, relationships and structure of the
accepted knowledge that applies in variety of theory
situations/hypothesis
Proposition
 comprehensive explanation of a given set of
data that has been repeatedly confirmed by  explains the relationship between the
observation and experimentation and has concepts
gained general acceptance within the scientific
CHARACTERISTICS OFF A THEORY
community but has not been yet decisively
proven 1. Interrelating concepts in such a way as to create
 set of idea in which intended to explain fact or a different way of looking at a particular
event but not enough strong evidence and not phenomenon
one hundred percent acceptable 2. Logical in nature
 has wide range of data 3. Generalizable
4. Basis for hypothesis that can be tested
HYPOTHESIS 5. Increasing the general body of knowledge
 translates a research question into a prediction within the discipline through the research
of expected outcomes implemented to validate them
 an expectation of what should happen, barring 6. Used by the practitioners to guide and improve
unforeseen circumstances their practice
 a coherent statement or set of statements that 7. Consistent with other validated theories, laws,
attempts to explain observed phenomena and principles but will leave open unanswered
 based with limited experience and has limited questions that need t be investigated
data
PRINCIPLE AND PHILOSOPHY
 research question identifies the
variables/concepts under investigation and asks  Both beliefs, concepts and attributes
how the concepts might be related Principle
 predicted answer
 Basic generalization that is accepted as true and
COMPONENTS OF THEORY that can be used as a basis for reasoning or
Concept conduct
 How, how can you make your belief into actions
 mental idea or images that describes a
 Basis is moral
phenomenon
 comprehensive idea or generalization Philosophy
 idea that brings diverse elements into a basic
 Most basic beliefs, concepts, and attributes of
relationship
an individual group
 unit of thought/knowledge abstracted from set
 An analysis of the grounds of and concepts
of characteristics attributed to a class of
expressing fundamental beliefs
objects, relations or entities
 Next knowledge level after metaparadigm. It
 general idea formed in the mind
specifies the definition of metaparadigm
 something understood or retained in the mind,
concepts
from experience, reasoning, and/or
 Search for a general understanding of values
imagination; a generalization or abstraction of a
and reality by chiefly speculative rather than
particular set of instances or occurrences
observational means
Definition  What and Why, clarifies what you believe and
what you want to do
 general meaning of the concepts in a manner
that fits the theory NURSING THEORY
  Body of knowledge that describes or explains
nursing and is used to support nursing practice
TYPES
 An organized and systematic articulation of a
set of statements related to questions in the 1. Meta-Theory: the theory of theory. Identifies
discipline of nursing specific phenomena through abstract concepts
 Basis of nursing practice and addresses 3 assumptions:
 Help interpret data, make decisions based on a. Nature of Knowledge: Epistemology
relevant information, plan for care, and predict b. Nature of Being/ Existence: Ontology
and evaluate outcomes c. Nature of Values: Axiology
 Helps differentiate nursing from other 2. Grand Nursing Theory: broad and complex;
disciplines provides a conceptual framework under which
the key concepts and principles of the discipline
4 AIMS or GOALS  Nursing Care
can be identified
 Explains 3. Middle-range Nursing Theory: address specific
 Describes phenomena and reflect practice; more precise
 Predicts and only analyses a particular situation with a
 Prescribes limited number of variable
4. Practice Theory: explores one particular
Components of Nursing Theory  relationship among
situation found in nursing. It identifies explicit
existing theoretical works in nursing
goals and details how these goals will be
 Nursing achieved
 Person 5. Descriptive Theories: first level of theory
 Health development
 Environment 6. Prescriptive Theories: address nursing
interventions and predict their consequences
Purpose in relation to
CONCEPTUAL AND THEORETICAL
1. Education
Conceptual Frameworks/Models
 Establish the profession’s place in the
university  Set of interrelated concepts that symbolically
 Provide general focus for curriculum represents and conveys a mental image of a
design phenomenon
 Guide curricular decision making  Conceptual Models of Nursing: identify
2. Research concepts and describe their relationships to the
 Identifies the philosophical assumptions phenomena of central concern to the discipline
or theoretical frameworks from which it  Representations of an idea or body of
proceeds knowledge based on the own understanding or
 Offer framework for generating perception of a person or researcher on a
knowledge and new ideas certain topic, phenomena or theory
 Assist in discovering knowledge gaps in  Based on your own understanding or
specific field of study perception, specific and narrow
 Offer a systematic approach to identify
questions for study, select variables, Theoretical Models/Framework
interpret findings and validate nursing  Highly established set of concepts that are
interventions testable
3. Practice  General and broader because it is made from
 Facilitation of reflection, questioning, theory
and thinking about what nurses do
 Assist nurses to describe, explain, and FRAMEWORK VS PARADIGM VS MODEL
predict everyday experiences Framework
 Serves to guide assessment,
 Way of representing the empirical relations
intervention, and evaluation of nursing
between every aspect of the inquiry
care
 Provide rationale for collecting reliable Paradigm
and valid data about the health status
of clients, which are essential for  Set of concepts or through patterns that
effective decision making and includes theories, research methods,
implementation postulates, standards and representations of
the empirical relations for what constitute
legitimate contributions to a field
  Word nurse is derived from the Anglo-French
nurice and the Latin word nutrica, both which
Model
mean NOURISH
 Graphical, verbal or physical representation  Nightingale’s vision nursing as an academic
which simplifies concepts discipline with a substantive body of knowledge

SCIENCE HISTORICAL ERAS

 The organized body of knowledge gained 1. Curriculum Era: moving nursing education from
through research hospital-based diploma programs into college
and university
Scientific Method 2. Research Era: Researchpath to new
 Observation knowledge and part of the curricula of
 Gathering Data developing graduate programs
 Forming Hypothesis 3. Grad Edu Era: master program in nursing
 Experimental Investigation emerged to meet the need for nurses with
 Conclusion/Theoretical Explanation specialized education in nursing
4. Theory Era: outgrowth of research era and
KNOWLEDGE research without theory produced isolated
 Information, skills and expertise acquired by a information; however, application of research
person through formal and informal learning and theory produced nursing science
 Should be theoretically or skills

PHENOMENON
 Set of empirical data or experiences that can be
physically observed or tangible using the sense
 Nursing includes caring includes the response of
the patient

NURSING
 Encompasses autonomous (independent) and
collaborative care (medical allied forces) of
individuals of all ages, families, groups and
communities, sick or well and ill all settings. It
includes the (health teaching/ health education)
promotion of health, the prevention of illness,
and the care of ill, disabled (rehabilitation) and
dying people (anointing of the sick, counseling)
dead (postmortem care) WHO
 Requires knowledge and skills

RESEARCH MID 1800’S AND 1960’S

 Creative and systematic work undertaken to 1800’s
increase the stock of knowledge to devise new
 Nursing knowledge is distinct from medical
applications
knowledge (Nightingale)
HISTORY OF NURSING  Nursing as a vocational heritage more than
 Began with Florence Nightingale professional vision
 She envisioned nurses as a body of educated 1960’s
women at a time when women were neither
educated nor employed in public service.  Debates and discussion regarding the proper
Following her service of organizing and caring direction and appropriate disciple for nursing
for the wounded in Scutari, during the Crimean knowledge development
War, her vision and establishment of a school of
MID 1970’s
nursing at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London
marked the birth of modern nursing  Evaluation of 25 years of nursing research
 Nightingale’s pioneering activities in nursing revealed that nursing lacked conceptual
practice and subsequent writings describing connections and theoretical frameworks
nursing education became a guide for  Milestones:
establishing nursing schools in the United States o Standardization of curricula for nursing
at the beginning of the 20th century master’s education
 o Doctoral education for nurses should be of the science or knowledge of that discipline
in nursing and the accompanying practice abilities.
 Transition from vocation to profession  Nursing Theoretical Works represents the most
 Nursing practice is based on nursing science comprehensive ideas and systematic knowledge
about nursing.
MID 1980’s  Therefore, nursing theoretical works are vital to
 Preparadigm period to paradigm period the future of both the discipline and the
 Introduced an organizational structure for profession of nursing.
nursing knowledge development to the nursing  Process of knowledge development. Nursing
literature practice, theory, and research are
 Utilization phase of the Theory Era: emphasis interdependent. Nursing theory development
shift from the development to the use and and nursing research activities are directed
application of what is known toward developing nursing practice standards.
 Discipline & Profession are interrelated, but
CHANGES OF EDUCATION IN NURSING
they each have specific meanings that are
 1874: St. Catherine Training School was the first important to nursing.
hospital diploma school in Canada where the
nursing program went from an apprenticeship NURSING THEORY AND THE PRACTICING NURSE
to an education model  Organize patient data
 1881: the school for nurses at the Toronto  Understand patient data
General Hospital was established  Analyze patient data
 1896: Mary Agnes Snively developed 3-year  Make decisions about nursing interventions
course with 84 hours of practical nursing and  Plan patient care
119 hours of instruction by the medical staff.  Evaluate patient outcomes
 1918: following world war I, the widespread
influenza pandemic led to support for public HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
health program and new patterns of health care  Early 20th century view of science and theory
delivery o Philosophersanalysis of theory
 1919: first undergraduate nursing degree structure
program was established at the University of  Scientist focused on empirical
British Columbia research
 1932: demanded for transfer of responsibility  Positivism (the mind by
for nursing education to general educational experience): the philosophy of
system science that information is
 1950’s and 1960’s: experiments with two-year derived from logical and
programs for nursing began and the movement mathematical treatments and
to separate nursing education from the reports of sensory experience is
authority of hospital began the exclusive source of all
 1967: Laurentian University started student authoritative knowledge.
intake  Emergent views in the late 20th century of
 1969: first conference in Nursing Theory science and theory
brought leading scholars and theorists to o Empiricists argue that for science to
discuss and debate on issues regarding nursing maintain its objectivity, data collection
science and theory development and analysis must be independent of a
 2000: all professional nurses are required to theory.
have a bachelor at degree o Brown argues that the new
epistemology challenged the empiricist
SIGNIFICANCE OF THEORY FOR NURSING AS A
view of perception by acknowledging
DISCIPLINE AND PROFESSION
that theories play a significant role in
 “The systematic accumulation of knowledge is
determining what the scientist will
essential to progress in any profession.
observe and how it will be interpreted.
however, theory and practice must be
constantly interactive. Theory without practice ISSUES IN NURSING PHILOSOPHY AND SCIENCE
is empty and practice without theory is blind.” DEVELOPMENT
 Discipline is specific to academia and a branch  Four fundamental patterns of knowledge in
of education, a department of learning or field Nursing
of knowledge. o Empirical knowledge: science of nursing
 Profession refers to specialized field of practice,  Based on the assumption that
which is founded upon the theoretical structure what is known is accessible
 through the physical senses:  Interpretive paradigm tends to promote
seeing, touching and hearing. understanding by addressing the meanings the
 Reality exists and truths about participant’s social interaction that emphasize
it can be understood situation, context and multiple cognitive
o Esthetic knowledge: art of nursing constructions that individuals create on
 Expressed through: everyday events.
 Actions, bearing,  Critical paradigm for knowledge development in
conduct, attitudes, nursing, provides framework for inquiring about
narrative and the interaction between the social, political,
interaction economic, gender and cultural factors and
 Knowing what to do experiences of health and illness.
without conscious
deliberation
o Ethical knowledge: moral knowledge in
nursing
 Guides and directs how nurses
conduct their practice
 Requires:
 Experiential knowledge
of social values
 Ethical reasoning
o Personal knowledge: acceptance of self
that is grounded in self-knowledge and
confidence
 Concerned with becoming self-
aware
 Self–awareness that grows over
time through interactions with
others
 Used when nurses engage in
the therapeutic use of self in
practice
 Scientific competence,
moral/ethical practice,
insight and experience
of personal knowing
 Personal reflection
 Informed by the
response of others
 Openness to experience
 1980s - Further acceptance of nursing theory
and its incorporation in the nursing curricula;
publication of several nursing journal
 1990s - Nursing as a basic science, an applied
science, or a practical science Progress in the
Discipline of Nursing (Meleis)
o Practice
o Education and Administration
o Research
o Development of Nursing Theory
 Peplau developed the first theory of nursing
practice in her book, Interpersonal Relations in
Nursing (1952)
 Journal of Nursing Research (1952)
 1960s and 1970s – analysis and debate on the
metatheoretical issues related to theory
development
 Postpositivism focuses on discovering the
patterns that may describe a phenomenon.