Nursing Theory PDF

Differentiation of Terms
 Concept
 Conceptual framework
 Paradigm
 Metaparadigm
 Theory
Concepts
 Abstract ideas or mental images of phenomena or reality
 Often called the “building blocks” of theories
 Examples: mass, energy, ego, id
Paradigm
 A pattern of shared understanding and assumptions about reality and the
world
 Include notions of reality that are largely unconscious or taken for granted
 Derived from cultural beliefs
 Examples: time, space
Metaparadigm
 Concepts that can be superimposed on other concepts
 Four major metaparadigms in nursing
 Person
 Environment
 Health
 Nursing
Theory
 Supposition or system of ideas proposed to explain a given phenomenon
 Attempt to explain relationships between concepts
 Offer ways to conceptualize central interests of a discipline
 Example: Freud’s theory of the Unconscious
 A theory, in the scientific sense of the word, is an analytic structure designed

to explain a set of empirical observations. A scientific theory does two
things:
1. it identifies this set of distinct observations as a class of phenomena, and

2. makes assertions about the underlying reality that brings about or affects this
class
Purposes of Nursing Theory
1. Link among nursing theory, education, research, and clinical practice
2. Contributes to knowledge development
3. May direct education, research, and Practice
Criteria for Evaluating Theoretical Work
Clarity- “How clear is this theory?”

 Words often have multiple meanings within and across disciplines; therefore
words should be defined carefully and specifically to the framework (philosophy,
conceptual model, or theory) from which it is derived.
 Diagrams and examples may facilitate clarity and should be consistent
Simplicity- “How simple is the theory?”
 Theory should have as few concepts as possible with simplistic relations to aid
clarity.
 “The most useful theory provides the greatest sense of understanding.”
Generality- “How general is this theory?”
 To determine the generality of theory, the scope of concepts and goals within the
theory are examined.
 “The broader the scope, the greater the significance of the theory.”
Empirical precision- “How accessible is the theory?”
 Empirical precision is linked to the testability and ultimate use of a theory and it
refers to the”extent that the defined concepts are grounded in observable reality”.
Derivable Consequences- “How important is this theory?”
 Propose that if research, theory, and practice are to be meaningfully related, then
nursing theory should lend itself to research testing and
 research testing should lead to knowledge that guides practice.
 Indicates that to be considered useful, “it is essential for theory to develop and
guide practice.
Theory is“a creative and rigorous structuring of ideas that projects a

tentative, purposeful, and systematic view of phenomena”.
 A theory makes it possible to “organize the relationship among the

concepts to describe, explain, predict, and control practice
 They are derived through two principal methods; deductive reasoning and
inductive reasoning
 Nursing theory is the term given to the body of knowledge that is used to
support nursing practice.
 Nurses will understand why they are doing. what they are doing and be
able to explain it clearly to other health professional
Importance of Nursing Theories
 Nursing theory aims to describe, predict and explain the phenomenon of

nursing (Chinn and Jacobs1978).
 It should provide the foundations of nursing practice, help to generate

further knowledge and indicate in which direction nursing should develop
in the future (Brown 1964).
 Nurses will understand why they are doing. what they are doing and be
able to explain it clearly to other health professional
 Proposition- a statement of relationship between concepts
 Conceptual model- made up of concepts and propositions
 Assumption- Are statements that the theorist or researcher holds as truth

and excludes from measurement and testing.
 Deduction- Is a form of logical reasoning that is loosely described as

progressing from the general to the specific
 Induction- Is a form of reasoning that is loosely described as moving from

the specific to the general
 Retroduction - Combines induction and deduction to originate ideas. This

form of reasoning uses analogy a method of devising theory
 Hypotheses- Are testable relationship statement

 Abstract Concept- Are independent of time or place and they are indirectly
observable. E.g. HOPE
 Concrete concept - Are specific to time and place and are observable. E.g. a
person’s features, such as eye color, height or weight,
Classification of Nursing Theories
 Descriptive - To identify the properties and workings of a discipline
 Explanatory - To examine how properties relate and thus affect the

discipline
 Predictive - To calculate relationships between properties and how they

occur
 Prescriptive - To identify under which conditions relationships occur

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Differentiation of Terms

 A theory, in the scientific sense of the word, is an analytic structure designed

1. it identifies this set of distinct observations as a class of phenomena, and

Criteria for Evaluating Theoretical Work

Clarity- “How clear is this theory?”

Theory is“a creative and rigorous structuring of ideas that projects a

 A theory makes it possible to “organize the relationship among the

Importance of Nursing Theories

 Nursing theory aims to describe, predict and explain the phenomenon of

 It should provide the foundations of nursing practice, help to generate

 Proposition- a statement of relationship between concepts

 Conceptual model- made up of concepts and propositions

 Assumption- Are statements that the theorist or researcher holds as truth

 Deduction- Is a form of logical reasoning that is loosely described as

 Induction- Is a form of reasoning that is loosely described as moving from

 Retroduction - Combines induction and deduction to originate ideas. This

 Hypotheses- Are testable relationship statement

Classification of Nursing Theories

 Descriptive - To identify the properties and workings of a discipline

 Explanatory - To examine how properties relate and thus affect the

 Predictive - To calculate relationships between properties and how they

 Prescriptive - To identify under which conditions relationships occur

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