Nursing Theorists Trivia

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

My committee is trying to make a billboard of the most popular nursing theorists, and I wanted to know if anyone has information on trivia...interesting tidbits about some of them (like Nightingale or Watson, for example). They may not necessarily have to be nursing related, but just interesting "just for fun" knowledge. Any suggestions for search would be greatly appreciated!

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Frankly, I think ANYTHING about nurse theorists is trivia. What other discipline save nursing accepts unproveable/untestable ramblings of ivory tower inhabitants as worthy of discussion?

Unless pressed for an answer (by Magnet aspirations etc.) when do hospitals ever "hitch their stars" to a particular nurse theorist let alone demonstrate superior outcomes based upon interventions clearly tied to only that theorist's credo (and are otherwise unexplainable)?.

If interlaced circles, slick flow charts, and vitually unrecognizable experimental designs etc. float your boat, then nursing theory is where it's at.

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Specializes in trauma, ortho, burns, plastic surgery.

Go and look in nursing journals, choose one subject and try to find what type of theories and who wrote about. Couple of them could be NAMES in nursing (Zuzi told them dynosaurus, loooooool):D

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Frankly, I think ANYTHING about nurse theorists is trivia. What other discipline save nursing accepts unproveable/untestable ramblings of ivory tower inhabitants as worthy of discussion?

Unless pressed for an answer (by Magnet aspirations etc.) when do hospitals ever "hitch their stars" to a particular nurse theorist let alone demonstrate superior outcomes based upon interventions clearly tied to only that theorist's credo (and are otherwise unexplainable)?.

If interlaced circles, slick flow charts, and vitually unrecognizable experimental designs etc. float your boat, then nursing theory is where it's at.

I really agree with you. I cannot understand how and why they attribute so much energy into these people and their untrue statements. As you said, they are elitest people who do not have their pulse to the everyday happenings and challenges to daily nursing. I am not going to waste my time with this anymore. I tried (:lol2::lol2:-yeah, right:lol2::lol2:)

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Well, if you still trying to get information. Mildred Montag was a great theorist. Thanks to her we now have ADN programs.

Hope this helps!

:twocents:

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Specializes in CRNA.
Frankly, I think ANYTHING about nurse theorists is trivia. What other discipline save nursing accepts unproveable/untestable ramblings of ivory tower inhabitants as worthy of discussion?

Unless pressed for an answer (by Magnet aspirations etc.) when do hospitals ever "hitch their stars" to a particular nurse theorist let alone demonstrate superior outcomes based upon interventions clearly tied to only that theorist's credo (and are otherwise unexplainable)?.

If interlaced circles, slick flow charts, and vitually unrecognizable experimental designs etc. float your boat, then nursing theory is where it's at.

Glasgow3,

I think that is the coolest thing I have ever read on this site. Thanks. I have always considered my undergrad and masters theory classes as large blocks of time in my life that I can never get back.:nurse:

Redcell

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Well, if you still trying to get information. Mildred Montag was a great theorist. Thanks to her we now have ADN programs.

Hope this helps!

:twocents:

I did forward it to the committee, thank you very much:yeah:

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Specializes in NPD; Administration; M/S; Critical Care.

Okay, since I'm fresh from finishing my master's level nursing theory course, I can help you with one that actually has substance, and that should be a good one for trivia:

Patricia Benner-she authored her PhD dissertation on the topic "From Novice to Expert", which was basically what the ideal nursing orientation should be like! She discussed the different stages that a nurse goes through on their way to becoming an expert clinician. If I am ever in the position to lead staff, I would definitely follow her theory, since it makes concrete sense for all concerned.

Hope this helps,

UnitRN01

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I'm inclined to agree that nursing theorists do nothing more than justify their existence. That is until I read about Virginia Henderson. She asked the question: "What is the unique function of the nurse?" If you can answer that one, Congratulations! You must be a nurse! Her insight has made me proud of my profession. I remind my nursing students that hospitals don't function without nurses. Doctors don't function without nurses. Our whole health care system does not function without nurses--because what we do is unique in health care.

Just my :twocents:

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Specializes in Critical Care, Progressive Care.
Frankly, I think ANYTHING about nurse theorists is trivia. What other discipline save nursing accepts unproveable/untestable ramblings of ivory tower inhabitants as worthy of discussion?

Physics - cosmology if chock full of "unproveable/untestable ramblings of ivory tower inhabitants." Many of these ramblings are interesting and useful.

Economics. Full of folks that describe untestable models. Modern prosperity owes much to their theories

"Alternative Medicine" fields - eg homeopathy, naturopathy, although these theorists may be more readily found in a yurt than an ivory tower.Deepak Chopra and Andrew Weil come to mind. Their work is not without value.

Not everything in life is testable or provable. Also, testing and proving do not automatically equal truth. For example, in the early part of this century scientists tested and proved that white folks are smarter than black folks. "Science" also led to the forced sterilization of "mental defectives" (ie poor people) and remember that Tuskeegee was all about "testing" and "proving." :madface:

There is a place for testable hypotheses, however they do not necessarily represent a gold standard of intellectual endeavor.

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I am not a huge fan of some of the more arcane theorists. Nightingale was useful for her emphasis on public health and the influence of environment on recovery.

Callista Roy (overwritten) did some really interesting work in the psychosocial impacts of illness on the patient and the systems in their lives.

I think the value of nursing theory is that it gives the nurse a theoretical framework from which to offer care. If I learned anything in nursing school it is to be pragmatic and take a shopping cart approach to nursing theory. In other words take what you can use to improve patient care.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I think the value of nursing theory is that it gives the nurse a theoretical framework from which to offer care. If I learned anything in nursing school it is to be pragmatic and take a shopping cart approach to nursing theory. In other words take what you can use to improve patient care.

That's pretty much my attitude -- and I teach theory. Each theory was designed for a different purpose ... by a different person ... in different circumstances ...at a different time and place. Each offers one person's view of the nursing profession or a single piece of the profession. Some are more relevant to our individual life experiences than others. What is most relevant to my life and experiences may not be the same as what is most relevant to your life and situation, etc.

We are all free to choose those ideas that are most relevant to our particular situations -- and respect others' right to make similar choices. We don't all have to look at something the same way.

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