¶ … Utility of the Knowledge of Nursing Theory in Patient Care
When people describe nursing theories and theoretical concepts, they frequently try to separate the theory from the practice of nursing. However, this is a critical mistake. Theory and practice are inseparable. While there are many established nursing theories, it is important to look at the origins of those theories. They developed, not in an isolated academic setting, but because they reflected the issues that were presented to nurses in the field and reflect how those nurses dealt with questions and concerns that frequently arise in the context of nursing practice. As a result, it is important to keep in mind that theory and practice are not distinct from one another. On the contrary, theory should be viewed as a type of practice because theories involve: asking certain questions, questioning the status quo, seeking the most plausible or meaningful answers, and building a logical structure for those answers (Goodson, 2010, p.78). In other words, nurses who are confronted with particular patient issues or illnesses are relying, not only on nursing theory, but also on other medical theories to practice with those patients.
Moreover, disregarding theory can be time consuming and inefficient for the patient. While nurses are able to observe patients and develop their own theories, the individual knowledge of a particular nurse cannot compare to the collective knowledge of nursing as a profession. Therefore, relying on individual experience rather than on the collective body of nursing knowledge and theory would result in a nurse practicing at a disadvantage, which would result in lower quality of patient care. An ill patient comes to a nurse with medical questions. "Scientific theories- when they have already been proposed and tested- provide clean, decluttered explanations to answer these questions" (Goodson, 2010, p.77). This makes nursing theory a critical part of the practice of nursing.
The Effectiveness of Contemporary Nursing Theories
One of the most fascinating components of contemporary nursing theories is that they are not all equally applicable to all healthcare scenarios. Instead, some of them...
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