Title: Nursing Theory | Transitions to Professional Nursing Practice
Headings: Nursing Theory
Nursing Theory
Theory Attributes
Concept
Theory
Model
Theoretical Framework
Assumption
Proposition
Metaparadigm
Two Types of Nursing Theories
Grand Theory
Middle-Range Theory
Nursing Theory and Research
Nursing Theory for Policy Creation
Nursing Theory and Personal Nursing Philosophy

Content: Nursing Theory | Transitions to Professional Nursing Practice
Nursing Theory
The overarching goal of nursing theories is to define what nursing is, how and why nurses do what they do, and to provide a framework for making decisions. This chapter will review the different levels of nursing theory, evaluate the assumptions made by different nursing theorists, and learn how to apply nursing theory to practice situations. The primary purpose of creating nursing theories are to guide nursing practice. Nursing theory can be integrated into any nursing setting, such as a hospital or community-based clinic. Theories can also be integrated into specific clinical settings, such as labor and delivery. Theories are beneficial to nursing practice in numerous ways. When nurses incorporate theory into personal nursing practice, it allows for creativity and implementation of innovative interventions. Many nursing behaviors are based on theory, such as caring and patient education. Nursing theory helps nurses organize their care
The first step to understanding nursing theory is to understand the attributes of a theory. The list below shares the attributes found in every nursing theory, and while uncommon, some theories may not share assumptions depending on the year they were created.