Nursing Theorists

[Spidey's mom]

Hello - I'm just starting a nursing theory class for my RN-BSN program and we've started with Jean Watson and Betty Neuman. I actually met Jean at a conference about a month ago. Nice lady.

Who would YOU all say is the most influential nurse theorist and why do you think so?

Thanks - steph

[BBFRN, BSN, PhD]

I also like Orlando-Pelletier's theory. It seems very simple to me. Patient behavior, nurse reaction, nurse action....

That's a new one to me. Sounds very interesting, though.

[TreeDoc]

Well, my take on this whole theory thing is...:argue:...they were developed in the education community as a guide to curriculum by people that either needed to be published or couldn't find a model that they liked.

As a new RN I could probably adopt any of these theories (perhaps with the help of some Zofran :imbar) into aspects of my daily practice. Heck, I could probably make a career out of it .

But at this point in time, I am too busy refining skills, learning the nuances of charting, working too much overtime, adjusting family life to career and school to get more than just exposure out of a theory course .

I can also envision a new grad coming on to the floor spouting caritas criteria for administrating human care essentials with an intentional consciousness when all that is required is digital stimulation :chuckle.

Perhaps it is just a progression...Florence to Henderson to Wiedenbach to Neuman to Orem to Watson to ad nauseam .

[ToughLove]

Enough information to make your head spin!! Sooo many theorists and so little time. I too, like many others, like Virginia Henderson. She seems to touch on a very broad and basic theme of nursing. Nursing is such a diverse field and means many things to many different people. A nurse may work in any multitude of areas from a hospital to a cruise ship!! Trying to put nursing in a box is like trying to put parenting in a box. There is more than one way to skin a cat!! So I think it is good that there are so many different but yet similar nursing theories. We as nurses can take what we like from each one. Written down as a theory or not we all can identify and or use many of these theories.

[JENmoore]

I agree with Tough Love - There are soooo many theories and theorists out there. Here's an article that I wrote for one of my classes way back in the day. It was published online as a Nursing resource: http://www.topnursingcolleges.com/nur/nursing-theories-and-sub-theories.html.

I hope you find it interesting!

[chagermany]

Hi Jenmoore

I am very interested in your article but could not find it. Is there any way you could send it to me?