The Value of Nursing Theory, Essay Example

Serious discussions about how nursing should be carried out date back at least as far as to the time of Florence Nightingale. Nightingale was among the first to make an effort to qualify the role of nurses and the practice of nursing; since her time, many other scholars and practitioners have contributed to the field and to the growing body of knowledge related to nursing. A large number of Nursing theories have been posited in the decades since Nightingale first established the concept, and these theories have helped countless nurses better understand the tasks they face in their practice. A more recent trend has emerged in the last several decades, known widely as “evidence-based practice” (EBP) which places greater emphasis on basing approaches to nursing on the results of research, largely avoiding the conceptual in favor of the practical.

In the real world of nursing, it may be best to adopt an approach that incorporates both approaches, synthesizing the conceptual frameworks of Nursing Theory and the more practical, quantifiable information taken from EBP. Taking a firm stance that only one way or the other is the “right” way to approach nursing is to place unnecessary limits on one’s own experience and practice. Nursing theories offer ways for nurses to consider and understand their roles, while EBP offers practical guidelines for carrying out the functions of that role. Taken together, each helps to enrich the nurse’s understanding and execution of his or her job.

In the Roy Adaptation Model (RAM)of Nursing, the patient is seen as a set of systems that are constantly trying to adapt to various stimuli (there is much more to this theory, of course; this is just a very brief explanation of a much more complicated set of theoretical constructs). Ram is based in part around a six-step process of nursing: assessment of behavior; assessment of stimuli; nursing diagnosis; goal setting; intervention; and evaluation. Without going into each step of the process, it may be helpful to consider one step in the context of EBP to clarify how the two approaches can work together.

In the context of a surgical setting, for example, the “goal setting” step is relevant both in terms of RAM and of EBP. While “goal setting” has a broad range of implications, in this context it might simply mean getting a patient up, around, and hopefully on his or her way home after surgery. The specifics of reaching such a goal in the post-surgical setting can (and should) be based on EBP, while the larger concept can be thought of as being based on the underpinnings of a theoretical approach such as that found in RAM.

Bibliography

Britt Pipe, Teri. Optimizing nursing care by integrating theory-Driven evidence-based practice. Journal of Nursing Care Quality. 22(3), July/September 2007, p 234–238

McCrae, Niaill. Whither Nursing Models? The value of nursing theory in the context of evidence-based practice and multidisciplinary health care. Journal of Advanced Nursing.  68(1) January 2012. 222–229