Title: Nursing Philosophies, Models, and Theories: A Focus on the Future | Nurse Key
Headings: Nursing Philosophies, Models, and Theories
Nursing Philosophies, Models, and Theories: A Focus on the Future
Nursing Philosophies, Models, and Theories
A Focus on the Future
Definitions: Philosophy, Conceptual Model, Theory
The Danger of Not Using Nursing Knowledge
The Philosophical Value of Using Explicit Nursing Knowledge
Implementing Nursing Knowledge–Based Nursing Practice: Process and Strategies
Perspective Transformation
Strategies to Facilitate Perspective Transformation
The Scientific Value of Using Explicit Nursing Knowledge
Communicating the Scope and Substance of Nursing Practice
Documentation of Nursing Practice
Nurse-Sensitive Patient Outcomes
Measuring Satisfaction
Utility of Nursing Models and Theories Across Populations
A Vision for the Future
Five Types of Nursing Theories, Characteristics, Associated Modes of Inquiry, and Examples
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Content: This danger arises from two sources: ( 1) research done by members of other disciplines who do not understand nursing conceptual models and theories that should be used to guide nursing research, and (2) research done by nurses who have abandoned nursing models and theories in favor of conceptual models and theories from other disciplines as guides for their research. The research findings from either source should not be used as the evidence on which to base nursing practice because such research is not nursing research and therefore has nothing to do with nursing practice ( Fawcett, 2000 ). The Philosophical Value of Using Explicit Nursing Knowledge
Nursing, as Rogers (1985) maintains, has “no dependent functions” (p. 381 ). She explains that “like all other professions, nursing has many collaborative functions, [but]… [e]ach profession is responsible for determining its own boundaries within the context of social need” (p. 381 ). Rogers’ point is underscored by McCloskey and Mass (1998), who declared that maintaining a nursing perspective—a nursing conceptual model or theory—is crucial when nurses are members of inter- or multidisciplinary teams engaged in collaborative practice. Nursing practice always has value but the added value of using nursing knowledge to guide nursing practice needs to be emphasized so that all nurses are identified as nursing practitioners (not “nurse practitioners”) ( Orem, 2001) or senior nurses ( Meleis, 1993 ). These nurses have the courage to follow the independent path of professional nursing ( Orlando, 1987) and have the freedom and autonomy that comes from engaging in nursing-qua-nursing ( Hawkins & Thibodeau, 1996; Watson, 1997 ). The philosophical value of using explicit, discipline-specific nursing knowledge to guide nursing practice is documented in numerous publications, many of which are listed in Chapter 2 of this text.