Do you find the nursing theorists/theories you studied in school useful in real life?

[DichloroacetateAl]

I'm studying Porifice's theory of humanbecoming. I find it hard to implement in the clinical setting. Did the theories that you studied in college come in handy in the clinical setting?

[edmia, BSN, RN]

Just Flo's. Keep 'em clean, plenty of sunshiine, observe and note. I sweat the rest was someone needing a doctorate. And the nursing diagnoses - sure we're a discipline distinct from and equal to medicine. Want to buy a bridge?

LOL!!!

And to answer the OP: ABSOLUTELY NOT.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

hate to break up a good rant party, but yes, i do. there's one that says nursing does for people what they cannot do for themselves, with the idea that we also help them to become more able to do for themselves. this can be interpreted in many ways but since i deal mostly with the catastrophically-injured and their families, there's a lot of applicability. i use it every day.

of course, i had exactly the same obligatory smart-a** approach to nursing theory and diagnosis when i was an undergraduate that i see here (waste of time, i know better than any "expert," ridiculous, justification for someone's time, mumbo-jumbo, blah, blah, blah). i outgrew it when i went to grad school and acquired a first-hand appreciation for a broader perspective to bring to bear on my (autonomous) professional practice. ymmv, but i've done it both ways and this one works waaay better.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

So sorry, GrnTea, that I have only a BSN and experience with which to judge. But thanks for the condescension.

I don't need a nursing theory to know that kindness and education are empowering.

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

GrnTea is right. I use nursing theories and and nursing dx all the time.

When a pt is admitted with a medical dx of COPD exacerbation, I don't know how to perform my nursing function until a legthly

holistic assessment of the pt's symptoms reveal impaired gas exchange. I then sit down and write out a decision making tree to determine the most therapeutic course of action.

Then I elevate the HOB and give a neb tx.

In the meantime, I usually notice that both the pt and the doctor have developed altered mental states, but that's another story...

[mystory, BSN, RN]

No. Nursing theory is just ivory tower nonsense.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

suesquatch, i had no intention whatsoever of insulting anyone. i was just giving my experience. and brandonlpn, i useta be a pretty dam' hotshot critical care clin spec (and perfectly capable of diagnosing, and treating, lousy gas exchange in less time than it takes to say it) before doing my present work.

which does, in fact, work a lot better if i can tell the legal eagles on the other side why, exactly, i can give the opinions i give based on nursing assessment. just because nursing process takes longer to describe (and certainly longer to write it all down) doesn't mean that it isn't valid. i will cop to being an outlier out the far end of the bell curve, though, if you like.

the question was, does anyone use nursing theory in their current work? i think we can agree that since you had to learn something before you knew how to do much of anything with patient care, at least at the rn level, then you do, in fact, use it every day, whether or not you do so consciously. my job requires me to do it consciously, is all. somebody asked, i said how i came to be here, that's my answer, and it doesn't need to get you riled up.

[edmia, BSN, RN]

GrnTea is right. I use nursing theories and and nursing dx all the time.

When a pt is admitted with a medical dx of COPD exacerbation, I don't know how to perform my nursing function until a legthly

holistic assessment of the pt's symptoms reveal impaired gas exchange. I then sit down and write out a decision making tree to determine the most therapeutic course of action.

Then I elevate the HOB and give a neb tx.

In the meantime, I usually notice that both the pt and the doctor have developed altered mental states, but that's another story...

Oh my goodness! For a minute there I thought you were serious. Thank you, I really needed the laugh.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I use Orem and Benner often when thinking about things...Orem as it applies to patients and Benner as it applies to students and coworkers.

I based my graduate thesis on Porifice for the fun of it. It's interesting to think outside the box of what we usually think of as possible, sometimes.

And.... one my favorite nursing diagnoses (if anyone I know reads this, I've just identified myself, haven't I? hehe) : Spaghetti brain related to nursing school (or working as a nurse) as evidenced by confusion, insomnia, anger, and wanting to hit someone upside the head...

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

I used Nola Pender's Health Promotion theory for my master's project and it really changed how I thought of patients that just weren't doing things to take care of themselves or were doing things damaging to their health. It made them less frustrating and easier to deal with. It helped me to be more empathetic.

As far as care plans- I thought they were a good learning tool and helped me as a student decide what priorities I have for certain types of patients.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

your opinion didn't offend me. your wording did.

of course, i had exactly the same obligatory smart-a** approach to nursing theory and diagnosis when i was an undergraduate that i see here (waste of time, i know better than any "expert," ridiculous, justification for someone's time, mumbo-jumbo, blah, blah, blah). i outgrew it when i went to grad school and acquired a first-hand appreciation for a broader perspective to bring to bear on my (autonomous) professional practice.

[GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN]

in my humble opinion, they are two different worlds to be utilize from what i learned in college it just wouldn't transcend to the clinical setting, unless i was back in school and my then instructor would be at my side only then i would try to make sense of the two to a peace her ...just saying

[AgentBeast, MSN, RN]

People hate what they don't understand.