I *do* recognize the need for nursing theory

[carachel2]

but I am a bit appalled by the theory and research classes requird for my NP program while we covered the entire cardiovascular system in 1.2 hours of Patho. Why is that ??????????????????

We have Nursing Theory, Research and Research and Theory.

How are other programs compared to this one ?

[1Tulip]

Hey listen, D.StudentNurse. You don't need to be taught any skills. All you have to do is understand your energy field. I'm cutting and pasting a description of how to give an injection in the true Rogerian way. I am not making this up!

So let's take a pretty standard example - what is the difference between giving an injection in and out of Rogerian theory. Outside the context of the theory we imbue the ingredients in the syringe as the major ingredient in the interaction. How the contents of the syringe are delivered is of little relevance. Within the context of Rogerian science from the moment that the "intent" to deliver the contents of the syringe to the pt/client enters our consciousness we are "connected" to the "energy field" of the client. How we fill it, how we approach the client's room, how we enter the room, how we move toward the client, how we respect the intermingling of our energy field with that of the client, how we reach out to touch the client, the manner in which we initiate the actual contact, the manner in which we perturb/perceive the client's energy field, the way we introduce the needle to the client's IV's or body, the way we push the contents, the manner in which we withdraw the needle, the way we touch, stroke or do not touch or stroke the client, the manner in which we withdraw from the client's energy field, leave the room and then refocus on our next engagement with another client and consciously disentangle our own energy field from that of the last client are all significant variables that affect the manner in which the client responds to the interaction and to the delivery of the contents of the syringe.

The lesson dear D.StudentNurse, is that in order to learn to DO nursing, you're going to have to ask the nurses who are DOING it, (i.e., the staff on your clinical site), not the ones teaching it.

[gauge14iv, MSN, APRN, NP]

Smacks of psychedelia doesn't it? :rotfl:

[krisssy]

I am just starting grad school this winter. I see all these theory courses, and I am just anxious to start my psych nursing courses. Are there any nursing educators that believe that nursing theory is very important to my education? and if so can you tell me why? Thanks Krisssy RN MA

[gauge14iv, MSN, APRN, NP]

Not only do many of them think it matters, they truly believe that without it we could not be nurses, and nursing would have no reason to exist.

[1Tulip]

I taught in a MSN-APN grad school where they didn't really press nsg. theory but I think that's rare. Guage14iv pretty much states the case. It's a sort orthodoxy to which we all have to swear allegiance in order to get the advanced degrees.

Once upon a time, I knew of an asst. professor of nursing who was denied tenure because she stated aloud that she was not a Watsonian. She refused to embrace the Confession of Faith so-to-speak. When she was canned she lodged a complaint that she was denied academic freedom... which she was. I think she had an unassailable case. However, she was not tenured and that was that. There is no protection for junior faculty. None.

So, my suggestion is that you keep your head down and quietly endure the theory courses.

[bookwormom]

Yes, Watson is confusing. So is Rogers, Porifice, etc. Yes, the writing is turgid, dense, jargon-laden. However, there are gems in these theories that we need to be able to talk about. What we need is clearer explication of theory and more discussion.

I speak as a nurse and faculty member who, at one time, distained nursing theory. Now I believe we can't sustain ourselves as a profession unless we examine what it is about ourselves that makes us nurses.

We need theory, even for beginning students, as inspiration and clarification of what the profession is all about. But it must be more clearly presented!!!!

I am a skilled reader, familiar with many fields, and I find much of the writing in nursing theory dreadful. I also find the New Age emphasis disconcerting and uncritically accepted.

Critical thinking is not just for the bedside. Let's bring it to nursing theory.

[epg_pei]

Ahh! I feel so much better now. I'm only a first year Nursing student but I still have not learned ONE technical skill whatsoever. At my school, theory comprises basically the entire first year, yet we do clinicals in long-term care facilities and the like. I feel insanely nervous about going into this situation without any skills (not even bed baths or anything like that). I don't know if this is normal, but it's sure stressing me out. Clinicals start in January and I have no idea what I'm doing. I feel that it's helpful to have the basis of nursing theory, but it seems like I could be learning so much more right now. I thought that I was alone in not looking at the theorists as the be all and end all of nursing.

Hi dorky...I'm in F'ton too, so I share your pain, or I should say, I shared your pain...theory is just one of the many irrelevant courses you have to look forward to...you're going to have to study hard and do well, so you can get a decent grade out of it....then hopefully, you will promptly forget you ever took it, and devote that precious cerebral real estate to things that really matter...:wink2:

As one other posted put it, listen to nurses that DO...it's a much more valuable learning experience...

[ECU_CRNA2B]

Yes, Watson is confusing. So is Rogers, Porifice, etc. Yes, the writing is turgid, dense, jargon-laden. However, there are gems in these theories that we need to be able to talk about. What we need is clearer explication of theory and more discussion.

I speak as a nurse and faculty member who, at one time, distained nursing theory. Now I believe we can't sustain ourselves as a profession unless we examine what it is about ourselves that makes us nurses.

We need theory, even for beginning students, as inspiration and clarification of what the profession is all about. But it must be more clearly presented!!!!

I am a skilled reader, familiar with many fields, and I find much of the writing in nursing theory dreadful. I also find the New Age emphasis disconcerting and uncritically accepted.

Critical thinking is not just for the bedside. Let's bring it to nursing theory.

I happen to agree with the others on this post and not your sentiment. You say that to sustain ourselves as a profession we need to examine what makes us nurses...what other profession does this?? The surge for a spell has been to try and inculcate some sort of theory into nurses--like it or not, agree or disagree. The only thing that has resulted is a huge, ever-palpable and frequently studied divide between theorists and practitioners. Personal value systems, and ethical/ professional values of the ANA, and state nurse practice acts dictate the average practitioners practice--and the ever present urge to maintain continued competency as the patient advocate. Reading the splurb someone posted on giving an injecting Rogerian style is beyond laughable in our own profession--other 'professionals' would laugh the arss off as well. Her second statement was that it mattered not what was in the syringe...maybe for a theoriest, but a practitioner would heartily disagree!!!

My point is that we have worked for years to inculcate students with some theory laden jargon that theorists and faculty continue to defend is the only way to 'identify' ourselfes. Practioners are not consumed with the desire to 'identify' ourselves. WE know who we are--patient advocates first and foremost. WE are consumed with maintaining and persuing the various avenues we can advocate for our patients--as an NP, CNM, CRNA or maintaining competency as a bedside ADN. How about now we have the theorist and educators step out of their offices and out of their books and acually APPLY their theory logically at the bedside in daily, understaffed, overworked nursing practice..then preach to the masses at the bedside. And then, as with all other things medicine, if it doesn't work--get rid of it or move on to something that does.

One final thought, a nursing profession with millions of theories is no more 'unified' or 'identified' than one without (by without I mean that we continue with basic tenets of nursing--ethics, values, competency all to advoacate for the patient.

thanks for the rant and I enjoy this thread!!!!!!

K

[ZASHAGALKA, RN]

I am a skilled reader, familiar with many fields, and I find much of the writing in nursing theory dreadful. I also find the New Age emphasis disconcerting and uncritically accepted.

Critical thinking is not just for the bedside. Let's bring it to nursing theory.

I don't find the new age psychobabble we call theory to be uncritically accepted.

On the contrary. I and most of the nurses I know that actually practice nursing find it to be critically rejected.

The problem is that the ivory towered elitists that are trying to 'define' nursing despise bedside nursing. That, and they've been out of the trenches so long, they don't even know what nursing is anymore. So how is what anything they say relevant, at all?

I think it probably is relevant to them. Shoot, it pays their salary. But when you get to the point that your work has to be acceptable by a body of your peers, you start writing to impress your peers. That's fine for what it's worth and that's what theory is: a group of peers writing to impress themselves.

But it's not worth much when you leave the ivory tower. In fact, it holds nursing back. Instead of being an asset to nursing, it's an inside joke.

And those poor students. AS IF learning to be a nurse that first year out of school isn't tough enough already! Now they have a stumbling block until they learn to throw the trash to the curb in order to become real nurses.

There is an old thread "Can you be a nurse without Jean Watson?" And my take has been that you can be a nurse in spite of her.

~faith,

Timothy.

[Kelly_the_Great]

The surge for a spell has been to try and inculcate some sort of theory into nurses--like it or not, agree or disagree. The only thing that has resulted is a huge, ever-palpable and frequently studied DIVIDE between theorists and practitioners.

Let me begin by saying I'm not at all as informed/educated as you all who have posted here on this thread, LVN, 3rd year BSN program. But I soooooo agree. In a profession that imo is most lacking unity, all this does is further contribute to the lack there of.

How about now we have the theorist and educators step out of their offices and out of their books and acually APPLY their theory logically at the bedside in daily, understaffed, overworked nursing practice..then preach to the masses at the bedside. And then, as with all other things medicine, if it doesn't work--get rid of it or move on to something that does.

This is what I'm beginning to question, why do we not apply the nursing process to ourselves? Assess the situation - do we need to do something differently?, Plan - what needs to be done?, Intervene - do it!, Evaluate - did it work? - no? - throw it out! It seems as though the theorist move further and further away from nursing vs. embracing it.

One final thought, a nursing profession with MILLIONS of theories is no more 'unified' or 'identified' than one without (by without I mean that we continue with basic tenets of nursing--ethics, values, competency all to advoacate for the patient.

thanks for the rant and I enjoy this thread!!!!!!

K

:yeahthat:

[gauge14iv, MSN, APRN, NP]

If theory and nursing are increasingly divisive (and I think they are) then when theory moves so far away from nursing - as it is and has - then what will nursing's need be for theory?

I say we are there already - and as the previous poster so wisely opined - let's apply the nursing process to nursing first to create polarity in practice.

With evidence based practice now being the basis for nursing, I see little need to think about the theoretical when the practical is presented so well. Why do we do what we do? Because the evidence we have says we must. I just don't find good evidence for theory that says it should be THE foundation for practice.

What theory DOES give us is a basis for understanding the spiritual and emotional aspects of practice. Because we are all humans with our own eyes, throughts, belief systems and feelings HOWEVER, we bring our own experiences with us, regardless of theory.

ETA: The italicized However... Timothy - I am in total agreement with you!

[ZASHAGALKA, RN]

What theory DOES give us is a basis for understanding the spiritual and emotional aspects of practice. Because we are all humans with our own eyes, throughts, belief systems and feelings however, we bring our own experiences with us, regardless of theory.

It is precisely because we bring our own beliefs systems with us that most nurses so readily dismiss theory.

Basically, theory is kooky, feel-good voodoo. The spiritual and emotional aspects of theory aren't valid to any but the most drug-addled pacifists of the 60's revolution. It violates my belief systems, not enforces them.

They can have their energy fields and auras. I'll bring my real world beliefs to my practice, thank you very much.

~faith,

Timothy.