How does everyone feel about nursing theory

Nurses General Nursing

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Thank god the BSN program I am in has not subjected me to a nursing theory course, I had enough of it in the first two chapters of my fundamentals book. I just wanted to know what you practicing nurses thought about this article. I find the last four paragraphs of the side bar funny, really.

http://jef.raskincenter.org/published/NursingTheoryForSite.html

Me in nursing theory class...... :sleep:

Me at the thought of having to do more of it in grad school...:barf01:

I guess after spending so many years working with the medical model, nursing theory just seemed like a lot of hocus pocus. No offense to those of you who loved it. My brain just didn't get it.

I didn't enjoy nursing in my BSN program 16 years ago and I'm really not enjoying it in my graduate work. There is a place for nursing theory but when some nurses won't even get out of their chairs to answer lights or help patients with basic needs, I don't see nursing theory remedying this...:uhoh3:

I'm in an FNP program and so far have had to take two theory classes. hard to stay awake.

It's sort of halarious how enthusiastic the intructors are about it. Like it's the only thing that matters!

Specializes in ED/trauma.
I'm in an FNP program and so far have had to take two theory classes. hard to stay awake.

It's sort of halarious how enthusiastic the intructors are about it. Like it's the only thing that matters!

I think some instructors become sooo disconnected from real-life nursing. Theory is so far from reality.

Dr. Jean Watson is coming in May - we will be having breakfast with her. I see she won an award from "Martha E. Rogers".

I may copy this article (great article) and take it with me. :D

steph

I think this guy gives a pretty good account of nursing theory and nursing in general and I agree with much. Wish more people IN nursing, esp at the levels that could make a difference agreed as well...

Some selected parts of the article that I thought made good points....

The idea of a comprehensive theory of nursing is a strange one. We could not, for example, formulate a general theory of biology, though we can state biology's essential thrust. Biology is the study of life; it is not a theory of life... Biology includes many theories, such as the theory of natural selection and the theory of the structure and function of DNA. There is no overarching theory of biology from which we derive biological principles...

The range of tasks and disciplines that nursing includes are extremely broad. An effective nurse must understand both the human and the physiological aspects of illness.... In short, a nurse must have a disparate and broad range of interpersonal, organizational, clerical, and technical skills. The knowledge and skill base is compounded from multiple disciplines, including physiology, sociology, psychology, and bookkeeping.

Nursing educators should realize that it makes no sense to claim that there is a single theory of nursing, although the overarching goal of nurses' professional practice - to improve the wellbeing of their patients - underlies all the other activities. Trying to impose a "scientific" theory on such a wide range of skills and techniques detracts from the credibility of the profession...

... there is valuable and valid nursing research to be done (two obvious examples: Studies of the causes of medication errors or the effect of the frequency of dressing changes on the rapidity of wound healing). There is justification for Ph.D. level studies in nursing, but the justification does not require a fictitious theory of nursing. Academic nursing should not be satisfied with the low standard of intellectual honesty it has set out for itself, and academic institutions should not tolerate the lack of rigor in the field.

ditto

theory is just words of people that doesn't actually practice bedside nursing. Have you ever seen a Phd at the bedside?

I have a PhD and I work part time at a local hospital, at the bedside. It is more common that you might think.

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
Thank god the BSN program I am in has not subjected me to a nursing theory course, I had enough of it in the first two chapters of my fundamentals book. I just wanted to know what you practicing nurses thought about this article. I find the last four paragraphs of the side bar funny, really.

http://jef.raskincenter.org/published/NursingTheoryForSite.html

Gee, don't you think they could write this stuff in plain English?? But then, I'm just an ADN who snored through nursing theory classes back in the day and learned most of my "theoretical framework" from half a century of living, AKA the School of Hard Knocks.

Personally, I prefer to ESCHEW OBFUSCATION, STAMP OUT AND ABOLISH SUPERFLUOUS REDUNDANCY...........and take good care of human beings.

But, that's just me.:stone

There are many aspects to the philosophy of any profession. I just read an article titlted "Towards further clarification of the concept of 'dignity." by Jane Haddock BSc(Hons) RGN DPSN in the Journal of Advanced Nursing 1996, 24, 924-931. It's worth a read. I seem to be finding much about the concept of dignity in British medical journals. Here's a quote from the conclusion of this article:

"Human dignity is a central concept within the caring professions in that it communicates shared humanity. For the practicing nurse the maintenance of human dignity evolves from the recognition of human similarities, by feeling and being treated as humans themselves, and of human differences, by the non-judgmental appreciation of others...

"The most powerful tool a nurse possesses to maintain and promote dignity is herself, to work with feelings, use them constructively to understand patients, and to treat them as valid, worthy and important at a time when they are vulnerable. In order to promote the dignity of another, feelings need to be clarified and understood, to ensure that interactions and interventions are patient focused, rather than for the benefit of the nurse."

I would think this should one essential aspect of any philosophy of nursing or nursing theory. There are other aspects, too, but without this one, I'm not sure the others really matter.

Many so-called nursing theories are more like philosophies of nursing... which is fine, but let's call them that so there's no confusion. There are also conceptual frameworks for definining nursing practice, which are neither theory nor philosophy (as these terms are generally understood).

Also, as noted, there are philosophies of just about anything we deal with in our lives... they aren't generally crucial to the carrying out of practical matters day to day. For example, I may or may not have a clear life philosophy or may never have studied philosophy of any sort, still I get up in the morning, brush my teeth, follow traffic laws, raise my kids to be respectful... etc. And there are whole university departments out there dedicated to the philosophy of science but scientists aren't required to take such courses at any level... and it's not necessarily scientists in these departments.

Thus, I think it can be useful to expose nurses to different philosophies of nursing, but I don't think it's crucial to the ability to practice professional nursing and think it needn't be a major focus in teaching clinical nursing.

Specializes in neuro, ICU/CCU, tropical medicine.

"reality does not exist but appears to exist as expressed by human beings."

kind of sounds like those consciousness scientists who argue that human consciousness really doesn't exist, we just think we have consciousness.

that's what too much acid will do to you!

"reality does not exist but appears to exist as expressed by human beings."

kind of sounds like those consciousness scientists who argue that human consciousness really doesn't exist, we just think we have consciousness.

that's what too much acid will do to you!

that is very well put! :D

steph

Time for some slap therapy:

All professions are theory driven so deal with it, lol!:smokin:

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