...How might nursing practice change as a result of evolving nursing theory? The evolution of nursing theory has begun to revolutionize how nurses train, apply, and practice their profession. The nursing profession has moved from dependence upon total medical direction providing basic care into an independent practice modality with its own nursing theory practice, nursing models, and distinct nursing interventions. If nurses are to be as effective as possible in helping to provide high quality patient care, they will need to be better prepared as care becomes more complex. There is a need for more nurses with advanced degrees to provide primary care. Continuing education to help nurses retain clinical skills and develop leadership skills is critical to this change. Studies support a significant association between educational level and patient outcomes (Reinhard & Hassmiller, 2012). Evolving and emerging nursing roles for the new millennium is evitable. (Burggraf, 2012). Developing new and more advanced roles for nurses will improve access to care and help contain costs. It will also better prepare nurses to care for people and deliver care to the fullest extent of their education and training. Nursing is at the heart of patient care and is therefore crucial to changing the way health care is delivered. Nurses are the linchpin for health care reform and will be vital to implementing systematic changes in the delivery of care (Reinhard & Hassmiller...
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...and Psychology What Has Driven Nursing Theory Discussing the future of nursing theory can bring up a wide outlook of the direction of nursing. Everyone has different views and interests concerning nursing’s future. In this discussion, we will cover some of the opinions of what has driven nursing theory development, what will drive future development in nursing theory, and how might nursing practice change as a result of evolving nursing theory. According to "Nursing Theory" (2011), “The nursing profession has evolved greatly over time, moving from dependence upon total medical direction providing basic care into an independent practice modality with its own nursing theory practice, nursing models, and distinct nursing interventions” (Nursing Theory).The requirements of nursing education have grown greatly. Nurses used to only take care of basic ADL’s of patients. Today, many nurses have more knowledge than the physicians working with these nurses. It is only logical that nurses have their own set of theories and models that guide their nursing practice. Nursing theories increase the general knowledge within nursing through research implementation. Theories provide the basis for nursing practice, helps to generate future knowledge, and indicates in which direction nursing should develop. Nursing theories are an attempt by the nursing profession to continue within the professional boundaries of nursing (Nursing Theory, 2011). Nursing theory has also been driven by the advanced...
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...Future of Nursing Theory Discussion NUR 403 October 26, 2014 Introduction The discussion of the future of nursing theory addresses many different directions of nursing. We as nurses have different views, interests, and concerns about the future of nursing. In this paper, we will discuss the following; what has driven nursing theory development, what will drive future development in nursing theory, and how might nursing practice change as a result of evolving nursing theory? What Has Driven Nursing Theory Development? Nursing theories provide a framework for nursing care. The development of nursing theories is the fundamental step in building nursing knowledge, providing care, and nursing research. According to Jennings (1987) "Theory development is at the crux of nursing's evolution into a scientific discipline. It gives definition to nursing's body of knowledge, and direction to research and practice and it gives science direction and continuity" (p. 63). Florence Nightingale believed in promoting health and preventing illness. "Nightingale provides the profession with the expectation that nursing will be practiced by educated individuals using current research and methods (science) as well as compassion and common logic (art)" (Selanders, 2010, p. 83). What Will Drive Future Development in Nursing Theory? Nursing is a profession where change happens continuously, requiring us to keep current with medical advances, and find ways to improve patient care. Nursing theory...
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...Ernestine Wiedenbach Ernestine Wiedenbach was a pioneer in nursing theory and nursing philosophy. She was an author, nurse-midwife, and teacher. Clinically she specialized in nurse midwifery and it was at Yale teaching that her nursing theories were developed. Wiedenbach was recognized for her work in writing the first maternity nursing text book that focused on family-centered care. (Barger, Faucher, & Murphy, 2015). Her theories were influenced by Ida Orlando, Patricia James and William Dickoff who were all colleagues at Yale. Wiedenbach was passionate about nursing and she longed for further knowledge. Wiedenbach asked questions like what do nurses do and why they do it? (Wylie, 2010) It was from questions like this her theory was developed. Wiedenbach’s theory is based on identifying a patient’s need-for-help through nursing interaction. Wiedenbach (1963) defines her theory as follows, “Nursing is a helping art - a deliberate blending of thoughts, feelings, and overt actions. It is practiced in relation to an individual who is in need of help, is rooted in an explicit philosophy, and is directed towards fulfillment of a specific purpose” (p. 54). Wiedenbach believed there were four components to clinical nursing: philosophy, purpose, practice, and art. Wiedenbach felt that the each individual nurse is responsible for identifying their own philosophy based on their own values and life experience. Purpose is the goal the nurse hopes to achieve through the...
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...Benefits of a Baccalaureate Education in Nursing Benefits of a Baccalaureate Education in Nursing Nurses that complete nursing school at a baccalaureate degree level will be more prepared and have higher competency levels than nurses graduating from an ADN program. Grand Canyon University follows the guidelines from the American Association of College of Nursing (AACN) for the curriculum regarding the nursing education, including the RN-BSN program. (Grand Canyon University College of Nursing Philosophy, 2011) The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) fact sheet (Creating a More Highly Qualified Nursing Workforce, October 2012) talks about how baccalaureate nurses have more positive outcomes than an associate degree nurse. This refers to not only lower mortality rates but other factors such as medication errors. This shows that a BSN thinks outside of the box and treats the patient as a whole The focus of a patient, while hospitalized, is that they just want to get better. They want to know who brings their medication and who makes their bed. They don’t get to see the educational background of each nurse that cares for them. To them a nurse is a nurse. What the focus of a baccalaureate nurse caring for them is to treat the patient as a whole, not just the person who gives medications. Associate degree programs have been around since 1952. The ADN focus is concerned with the technical aspects of nursing. The focus is meeting the needs of the person through...
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...The profession of professional nursing has made many changes in the past half century and is expected to make many more by the middle of the twenty first century. These changes range from more technically challenging work both in and outside of the hospital, increasingly more complex patients, the need for critical thinking skills and the explosion of technology related to healthcare. Educational emphasis has evolved since the mid 20th century and will become increasingly more vital as the profession moves to the future. With all these changes in nursing the basics are still there; patient centered care, empathy, providing Maslow’s basic needs. During the Second World War the practice of nursing changed (Morgan, 1998). Nurses were no longer confined to the hospital, “they were really at the patient’s bedside, making their own choices based on their own clinical judgment and dealing with the consequences. They were discovering that’s what nursing is all about” (Morgan, 1998). Health care priorities also moved from the health of the community to the health and well being of the individual (Klainberg, 2010). Post Second World War also saw the ability of global travel. Air travel expanded and traveling from continent to continent in a day was becoming more feasible. With that comes the risk of spreading infectious diseases more easily. With that, fortunately, the discoveries of new and more effective antibiotics were taking off in the healthcare system. (Klainberg, 2010)...
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...Nursing Theory: Compare/contrast two theories Name University Professor Course Date Nursing Theory: Compare/contrast two theoriesIntroduction Theory has so far remained a strategic tool in advanced nursing practice. Firstly, nursing utilizes every feature of management science. Fortunately, the knowledge base of each and every management science takes theory into account. Theory includes methods, principles, and concepts. The principles are usually related, and can be observed and validated or verified when translated into the practice of management. Likewise, concepts are general notions, thoughts, and ideas that tend to form a basis of discussion or action. Therefore, theoretical principles guide clinical nurses to various fundamental nursing concepts and provide productive line of action in a given situation. As a result, nurses should note that taking a hermeneutic or phenomenological approach (strict natural science approach) to nursing is not only naive but also misleading in real-life-settings. Alligood and Tomey, on the other hand, argues that prescriptive theories are often used as fundamental practice guidelines, which play a pivotal role in providing a wide range of practice situations in the nursing and nursing sector (2002). Apart from that, nursing can only become a real profession when it has both a theoretical and a scientific base. This follows the fact that nurses deal mainly with human behavior, thus, nursing is indeed a practice profession. Briefly...
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...Running head: CARING THEORY Caring Theory University of Phoenix Caring Theory Caring is the central component of the nursing profession. Jean Watson believed that the essence of nursing is caring for a person (Alderson, Huynh, & Thompson, 2008). Watson’s caring theory has a philosophical, moral and spiritual source that addresses a person’s health with a holistic approach focusing on the mind, body, and soul. According to Watson (2009), “nurses and practitioners who are literate with caring relationships are capable of having loving, caring, kind, and sensitively meaningful, personal connections with an increasingly enlightened public: a public seeking wholeness and spiritual connections for their wellbeing, not just sterile, depersonalized, medical technological interventions, void of human-to-human caring relationships” (p. 468). Modern technology results in a cultural “void of humanity and authentic human caring relationships, and void of meaningful communication and connections” (p. 468). Nursing has evolved since Nightingale’s time. Nursing, in this era, uses both evidence-based practice and theory-driven care to provide patients with safety all while optimizing health outcomes (Britt, 2007). Using Watson’s Care theory, nurses can improve patient’s health outcome by focusing on the mind, body, and soul. Last year, I had a patient diagnosed with a terminal lung cancer. This patient was 37 years old with no immediate family still alive. This patient was not married...
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...What has driven nursing theory development? Nurses have always been seen as the providers of bedside care and those that follow through with physician’s orders. To me what drove theory development was the nurse’s desire to become independent and practice with models and beliefs specific to nursing as a profession while providing holistic care to the patient to encompass not only their physical illness but by providing care that incorporates their spiritual, emotional and environmental needs and to improve the outcomes for their patients. By exploring these ideas of providing a holistic care approach the nurse realized she could have the freedom to critically examine old ways of performing nursing tasks and duties and explore the new ways of providing care to the patients. By performing studies and research a nurse would be able to provide evidenced based care to improve the outcomes for her patients in all aspects of their lives not just their current illness or health problem. Applying these concepts the nurse could “examine his or her current frame of reference for practice in light of the challenge to adopt or change a conceptual model or theory. As the nurse begins to learn the content of the new conceptual model or theory, he or she begins to appreciate the discrepancy between the current way of practice and what nursing practice could be” (Alligood, 2010, p.501). “While some of the more physical and mechanical aspects of nursing are being delegated to individuals with less...
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...Vision for the future of nursing Currently, health care in the US has been made accessible and affordable to everyone, as evidenced by the increase in the number of patients in the health care system. The nursing profession is already facing numerous challenges to deliver good quality and safe patient care. Therefore, there is a need for growth in remodeling the nursing profession to meet the high demand of an aging population with more complex needs. The nurses have to quickly adapt to a new world of technology that is complex and sophisticated. The nurse, as the primary health care provider, has the power to provide a consistent environment to the patient. In order to direct the nursing profession forward, professional nursing organizations will have to address the following: expanded role of nurses, the use of evidence- based practice, the value of the nurse’s role in research, and the changing trends in health care. Evidence-based practice and trends in health care and the future of nursing “Evidence for nursing practice comes from research and other sources. Evidence-based practice requires an understanding of how research findings and other evidence inform and guide practice” (Fawcett & Garity, 2009, p. 3). Evidence-based practice (EBP) is developed to help in the delivery of a higher quality of care and the best outcome for patient’s health. In the past, nurses have been performing in their field based on established practices and experiences. Early efforts...
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...Nancy Drew Grand Canyon University: NRS-430V | Nursing History, Theories, and Conceptual Model August 11, 2013 One may ask themselves a couple of questions when determining if one really needs to go back to school to obtain a higher level of nursing education. What’s the big deal having a baccalaureate-degree (BSN) in nursing versus having an Associate-degree (ADN) in nursing? Why go to school for four years and sit for the same National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) that an ADN must pass for his/her licensure that a BSN must to take as well? Taking the NCLEX-RN is a capstone experience to your studies. Passing demonstrates your competence so you can launch your nursing career (NCLEX, n.d.). Today, nurses asks these same questions. In October 2010 there was a report issued titled, “The Future of Nursing.” ((AACN), n.d.) This report had gathered evidenced-based information and recommendations for the need of BSN’s to increase by 80%. This expert committee has done their research. The report also states “to respond to the demands of an evolving health care system and meet the challenging needs of patients, nurses must achieve higher levels of education.” Registered Nurses (RN’s) should change their educational status from ASN to BSN to remain in the competitive healthcare requirements. Our generations are growing older. Patients are being admitted to hospitals with increased co-morbities. Patients are coming to see their Primary care provider with...
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...knowledge, theory and research with a broader picture of the nursing field. Each program prepares a person to acquire the skills necessary for bedside nursing. Our healthcare system is changing everyday, the higher a level of education a nurse can posses will meet the demands necessary to fulfill the needs of the patients along with the evolving changes (Institute of Medicine, 2010). With each degree brings different levels of competencies. As defined in the Mosby’s Dictionary of Complementary and Alternative Medicine “ competence is the state or condition of being sufficiently qualified to perform a particular action. To achieve this condition, one must possess the proper knowledge, skills, training, and professionalism” (2005). Having a bachelor degree in nursing provides you with a clearer understanding of the physical and social sciences, public and community health and nursing management. The program enhances the nurse and their professional development and allows the nurse to understand the cultural, political, economic and social issues that can affect a patient (“The Impact”, 2012), As opposed to an associates degree program. As stated on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN] Fact Sheet “ research has shown that lower mortality rates, fewer medication errors, and positive outcomes are all linked to nurses prepared at baccalaureate and graduate degree levels” (2012, para. 1). As a nurse is prepared at a baccalaureate degree level, she/he has a...
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...Historical Development of Nursing Science Timeline Paper * Stacey Simmons * NUR/513 * February 3, 2014 Rebecca Gesler Historical Development of Nursing Science Timeline Paper The historical development of nursing science began with Florence Nightingale’s influential Notes on Nursing. The science of nursing has grown and developed into an academically sound and proven study of nursing care. In the 150 years following Florence Nightingale’s innovative approach to nursing care, many influential nursing theorists have emerged. This paper will discuss the Florence Nightingale, the pioneer theorists from the 1950’s, the transitional theorists from the 1960’s, and the research theorists from the 1990’s. The Historical Development of Nursing Science and Theory Nursing science and theory began with Florence Nightengale’s Notes on Nursing. Florence Nightingale is remembered for building the foundations of modern nursing establishing nursing as a profession. “Her book, Notes on Nursing (Nightingale 1859) first published in 1859, was the first nursing text book. She wrote the first modern nursing curriculum for St Thomas's Hospital, London when she instituted nurse education there in 1860 and followed these with a number of other books, reports and pamphlets. (Stanley, D., 2007). However, it would be decades before her insights, observations and educational model would be acknowledged as the first nursing theory. In the 1950’s Columbia...
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...Professional Roles and Values Assessment Western Governors University Introduction Nursing has certainly changed over the 25 years that I have practicing. However, there are some basic concepts that have guided me throughout my career that have not changed. I will discuss those to provide a clear view of what my mission as a nurse is. First I will discuss the functional differences between a regulatory agency and a professional nursing organization. Next I will discuss two examples of how provisions from a nursing code of ethics influence my practice. Third I will discuss four professional traits from the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics that would be brought to an interdisciplinary team meeting. After that I will identify a nursing theory that has influenced my professional practice. Then I will discuss how the contributions of one historical nursing figure impacted my professional practice. Finally, I will discuss a scenario in which as a nurse I safeguarded beneficence, nonmaleficence, respect for autonomy, or justice. Functional Differences The differences between a Board of Nursing and a Professional Association basically is the Board of Nursing regulates nursing practice and Professional Associations advocate for nurses. The Board of Nursing regulates nursing practice by developing rules and regulations, regulates the accreditation of nursing programs, oversees the licensure process, and enforces laws. Each state board works with the National Council...
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...Care Theory Compare and Contrast Paper Jean Watson’s Theory of human caring is based on transpersonal relationships and developing a caring environment that offers the development potential while allowing the person to choose the best course of action. Through interactions with others we learn how to recognize ourselves in others. Watson believes that through these interactions humanity is preserved. John Paley’s article A Slave Morality: Nietzchean themes in nursing ethics criticizes Watson’s theory that caring is central to nursing. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast John Paley’s article to Jean Watson’s Commentary on Shattle M (2004) Nurse-patient interaction: A review of the literature. A discussion of Watson’s background and care theory; John Paley’s background, and a brief discussion Friedich Nietzschen’s major philosophical beliefs. Jean Watson’s background Jean Watson was born in West Virginia in 1940. She graduated from the University of Colorado where she earned her BSN, MS, and in 1973 her PhD. Dr. Watson is widely published and has received many awards and honors. She is a distinguished professor of nursing and endowed chair in Caring Health Science. She is also a fellow at the American Academy of nursing. Watson’s research specialized in loss and human caring. She developed the Theory of Transpersonal Caring, which is also referred to as The Caring Model in the late 1970’s. Her theory evolved over many years, but the principles have remained...
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