Which Nursing Theory do you agree with?

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

this was an assignment i did from my nursing foundations class. what do you think?

• which nursing theory or theories did you find you most agreed with? from my reading of the text i really found that i agreed most with the bookends of the nursing theories presented. in other words i really liked nightingale's emphasis on maintaining a healthy and safe environment as the background of nursing care. if the nurse is always striving to maintaining "fresh air, light, warmth, cleanliness, quiet and adequate nutrition" (nightingale 1860 as cited in potter and perry) then the nurse is setting the stage for the patient to progress towards maslow's stage of self-actualization. i think that the client will interpret these actions by their nurse as caring which will stimulate increased effort towards improved health or adapting to the demands of chronic or terminal illness. i think that benner and wrubel's theory as described in the text illustrates this conceptual extension of nightingale's work. in other words, a healthy physical environment facilitates a healthy emotional environment between the client and nurse.

[ZASHAGALKA, RN]

The only 'theory' I subscribe to is to treat my patients the way I would want a family member treated.

I ignore all the rest. Chucked it to the curb ages ago and my nursing practice is better for it.

By the way, if you read all of FLO, she was a huge advocate of knowing your place when it came to doctors. No. No. No.

~faith,

Timothy.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

The only 'theory' I subscribe to is to treat my patients the way I would want a family member treated.

I ignore all the rest. Chucked it to the curb ages ago and my nursing practice is better for it.

By the way, if you read all of FLO, she was a huge advocate of knowing your place when it came to doctors. No. No. No.

~faith,

Timothy.

Ummmm...yep...that's what I practice. I couldn't even tell you a name of a nursing theory. Does that make me a bad nurse? I don't think so.

[JaneyW]

I had my first nursing theory class last summer as a part of an MSN program (my BA is not in nursing, so I haven't encountered the theorists before!). At first, my attitude was all about, "duh!". Then I began to appreciate the meaning behind the theories a bit more and I admit that I think of them as I am doing my job occasionally. I especially like Jean Watson's Caring Theory although I don't consider myself as new age as she. I also like Orlando's theory as it gives credit to the nurse for thinking through what thery are doing. Roy's adaptation model was great, but pretty mundane.

What I didn't like about nursing theory--and what I'm running into with ethics--is all of the linguistic arguing in journals about terms and uses and paradigms and meaning. Meanwhile there are thousands of nurses out there doing their jobs every second of the day. Where does it all come together??

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Good answer.

I agree with several theories, or parts of several theories, and understand some, and some are completely crazy.

But I personally don't use any in my daily practice.

[catlady, BSN, RN]

Are you going to keep posting all your homework?

[jenni82104]

I find it interesting.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

Nothing wrong with trying to encourage a little discussion here. At least the homework is being posted after is it completed, which is more than we can say for a lot of the student members here.

[prmenrs, RN]

In a moment of temporary insanity, I bought a book on nursing theory.

:barf01:

If I can't sleep, I drag the thing out from under my bed and open it up. ~2 paragraphs later, :zzzzz.

@ least it wasn't a total waste of $$$.

[llg, PhD, RN]

:cheers:

Nothing wrong with trying to encourage a little discussion here. At least the homework is being posted after is it completed, which is more than we can say for a lot of the student members here.

:cheers:

You made me smile, Eric. I agree completely.

llg

[llg, PhD, RN]

I'm teaching theory this semester (in an RN-BSN program) and struggling a little with how to help practicing RN's see the value in the theories. Many (most) were developed for purposes other than to provide specific instructions for bedside nurses.

Most theories were developed to support academic work within nursing -- an important part of the nursing profession and discipline, but not typically a part of the average staff nurse's day.

Over the years, I have come to rely on a couple of theories on a regular basis. Most notably, Patricia's Benner's work on the development of knowledge and skill as a nurse progresses from novice to expert. It helps me understand the behavior of the nurses I work with and helps to identify their needs -- not only their learning needs, but also the kinds of support they need to practice well. Someone in the "competent" stage of development has very different needs than a true expert, etc.

llg

[fedupnurse]

I agree with ZASHAGALKA. I treat patients like I would want my family/loved ones to be treated. Nursing Theory may God Bless you my child-that class was awful. I always love when these PhD (piled higher and deeper) people come up with this theory stuff. With conditions what they are in most places, my theory is if I make it through my shift and made my patients day a little easier to bear or a little brighter than I did a good job....