Applying Middle Range Theory to Practice, Essay Example

Ways in which middle range theory illuminate concepts in health and health care delivery are diverse. For example, there are two types of middle range theories; namely implicit and explicit. Besides, there is a criterion of significance for middle-range theory, which facilitates a professional understanding of its application to practice. As such, the concepts are identified being in alignment with theory society and advancement of knowledge in the nursing discipline (Fawcett & Garity, 2009). These are two distinct ways in which middle range theories illuminate concepts.

Importantly, the clarification offered by middle range theories for applicability to health concepts and health care delivery are twofold. First they provide theory significance from both a society perceptive as well as knowledge based influence. For example, Orem (   ) self-care middle range theory exposes three deficits, which were not addressed in meta theory, practice theory or grand theory because it accounts for precision  analyzing just one situation/ condition at a time utilizing a few variables (Alligood & Tomey, 2012).

Essentially, three theories are combined namely, theory of self-care deficit; theory of self-care and the theory of nursing systems. In a grand theory concepts and variables would have been clustered and jumbled into one. However, when a grand theoretical approach is applied the professional sees the value of social as well as knowledge significance criteria with regards to whether the data is sufficient or insufficient. Once data for application is enough, then clarity pertaining to importance of the concept to society (profession) and knowledge to the discipline (health care delivery) can be achieved. Also according Murrock & Higgins (2009) many strategies could be incorporated into achieving this desired self-care (Murrock & Higgins (2009)

Consequently, my particular role in developing (or evaluating) middle range theories is ensuring that they satisfy the significance criteria and enough variables exist for application to practice. Many theories whether middle range; meta; grand or practice are impracticable because they lack significant transference to practice criteria. Theories apart from offering concepts/ guidelines for implementation must also contain enough evidence for accurate transference. Evidence based nursing practices become faulty because concepts and variables used in theories are difficult to understand or just insufficient for transferability (Fawcett & Garity, 2009).

Therefore, as a twenty first century advanced practice nurse my noble responsibility is adding to the body of knowledge in research as well as a theory modification. Currently, the social requirement of middle range theory is that it pertains to people with health conditions of practical public importance inclusive of other professions or adjacent disciplines. The obvious focus of social significance middle-range theory is addressing health dysfunctions (Fawcett & Garity, 2009). These include the prevalence of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in America, such as cancer and diabetes mellitus (Mercola, 2012).

In addressing both social and knowledge of middle range theory issues practice applications answers the question why it might that be important advancing nursing science and improving clinical practice. Precisely, diabetes mellitus affects a relatively large segment of the population. Social significance becomes emphatic when theory aims at improving the quality of life for people who have every little access to health care through health insurance and managed care barriers. Effects of health conditions on persons with spinal cord injury, mental illness and long term diseases are social significant theory concerns, which are often bypassed in theory constructions currently (Mercola, 2012).  Hence, reasons why it might be important  for twenty-first century advanced practice nurses take a positon regarding middle range theory in nursing science to improve clinical practice.

References

Alligood, M ., & Tomey, A.(2012). Nursing Theory: Utilization &Application (3rd ed). Missouri: Elsevier Mosby Publications.

Fawcett, J., & Garity, J. (2009). Chapter 6. evaluation of middle-range theories. In , Evaluating Research for Evidence-Based Nursing (pp. 73-88). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: F. A. Davis.

Mercola, D. (2012). Conventional Medical Care Kills More People than Heart Disease or Cancer. Retrieved on July 15^th, 2014 from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/02/11/leading-causes-of-death-cost-for-us-economy.aspx

Murrock, C., & Higgins, P. (2009). The theory of music, mood and movement to improve health outcomes. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 65(10), 2249-2257. doi:10.1111/j.1365- 2648.2009.05108.x