BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE
LICENSED VOCATIONAL NURSING PROGRAM
1ST SEMESTER FUNDAMENTALS
THE CLIENT AND THE HEALTH CARE ENVIRONMENT
Chapter 4 - Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice
INTRODUCTION
Expertise in nursing is a result of knowledge and clinical experience. You are learning to apply knowledge from nursing science, basic social sciences, physical sciences, and behavioral science. To address individual and family responses to health problems, theory-based nursing practice is necessary to design and implement nursing interventions to meet your client’s needs. These nursing theories will help to describe, explain, predict, and/or prescribe nursing care measures. The scientific work used in developing theories expands the scientific knowledge of the profession. Theories offer well-grounded rationales or reasons for how and why nurses perform specific interventions.
OBJCTIVES
Upon completion of this unit, the student will be able to:
A. 1. Explain the influence of nursing theory on a nurse’s approach to practice.
2. Describe types of nursing theories.
3. Describe the relationship between theory, the nursing process, and client needs.
4. Discuss selected theories from other disciplines.
5. Describe the value of nursing theory to nursing practice.
6. Discuss selected nursing theories.
ASSIGNMENT
A. Read Chapter 4 - Potter & Perry
B. Key terms and review questions at the end of Chapter 4
C. Study Guide for Chapter 4
Chapter 4 Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice
The Domain of Nursing
Domain
Ø Is the perspective of a profession
Ø Provides practical and theoretical orientations for a discipline
Paradigm
Ø Links science, philosophy, and theories
Theory
Ø Explains a phenomenon
Nursing theory
Ø Is a conceptualization of some aspect of nursing
Ø Communicates the purpose of describing, explaining, predicting, and/or prescribing nursing care
Components of a Theory
Phenomenon
Concepts
Definitions
Assumptions
Types of Theory
Grand
Middle-range
Descriptive
Prescriptive
Relationship of Theory to Nursing Practice
Theories
Ø Generate nursing knowledge for use in practice
Ø Can direct how to use nursing process
Ø Are adaptable to different clients and all care settings
Interdisciplinary Theories
Systems
Basic human needs
Developmental
Psychosocial
Selected Nursing Theories
The Link Between Theory and Knowledge Development
Nursing knowledge is theoretical and practical.
Theories provide direction to nursing research.
Nursing theory and nursing research build nursing’s knowledge base.