Theories and Conceptual Models

Sample Answer

The inception of professional Nursing can be traced back to Florence Nightingale, who envisioned nurses as a knowledgeable and skilled force capable of effecting positive changes in the delivery of healthcare services. In the 1950s, a demand arose for the advancement of nursing knowledge that was distinct from medical knowledge, toguide nursing practice, a century after the initial period(Jaakkola, 2020).

This initial development prompted an awareness of the necessity to formulate nursing theories. Before that time, the nursing profession relied on principles and customs that were transmitted through the apprenticeship system of education and hospital-specific procedure manuals. The manifestation was indicative of a vocational legacy rather than a proficient outlook.

The evolution of nursing from a vocation to a profession has been marked by distinct historical periods, namely the curriculum era, the research focuses era, the research era, the graduate education era, and the theory era(Oraee et al., 2019). The era of the theory emerged as a logical consequence of the research and graduate education eras, which fostered an enhanced comprehension of research and the advancement of knowledge. The absence of a conceptual and theoretical framework in research was found to result in the production of disconnected information.

The fundamental essence of advanced practice nursing is rooted in the nursing discipline’s perspective on the interconnections between the human environment and caring, which promote health and facilitate the process of healing(Vieira et al., 2021). The delineation of this core is specifically articulated within the philosophical and theoretical foundations of the nursing discipline. The nursing theory holds significant value as a constituent element of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) education.

The discipline of nursing is considered a practice-based field, and the significance of theories is determined by their influence on the provision of nursing care. In contemporary times, endeavors have been undertaken to establish a correlation between nursing theories and their practical application, to evaluate the efficacy of these theories.

Nevertheless, there has been limited empirical validation of these theories in real-world contexts(Jaakkola, 2020). The quantity of nursing studies that are theoretical in nature, with a specific focus on the effectiveness of nursing interventions, suggests a noticeable divide between theoretical concepts and practical application that has been prevalent in the field of nursing. It is expected that with the continued maturation and development of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs, the disparity between theoretical knowledge and practical application will diminish.

The selection and utilization of a theoretical or conceptual framework by an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) significantly influence the assessments conducted and the interventions implemented to attain individual outcomes. Research has indicated that the theoretical framework adopted by a nurse can significantly influence their approach to nursing practice(Oraee et al., 2019). The conceptual framework that one adopts about clients and the objectives of nursing significantly influences the nature of the assessments that are conducted.

Every individual possesses a unique perspective, whether it is within their conscious awareness or not. Inconsistencies between the perspective held by an individual and the actions taken during an assessment may lead to potential issues(Vieira et al., 2021). The process of gathering information must be logically connected to an individual’s perspective on the field of nursing.

Theoretical frameworks, such as conceptual models, offer healthcare professionals a broad viewpoint or a cognitive framework for identifying significant aspects to consider, thereby serving as a foundation for formulating nursing diagnoses and determining appropriate nursing interventions.

References

• Jaakkola, E. (2020). Designing conceptual articles four approaches. AMS Review. https //doi.org/10.1007/s13162-020-00161-0
• Oraee, M., Hosseini, M. R., Edwards, D. J., Li, H., Papadonikolaki, E., & Cao, D. (2019). Collaboration barriers in BIM-based construction networks A conceptual model. International Journal of Project Management, 37(6), 839–854. https //doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2019.05.004
• Vieira, J. V., Deodato, S., & Mendes, F. (2021). Conceptual Models of Nursing in Critical Care. Critical Care Research and Practice, 2021, 1–6. https //doi.org/10.1155/2021/5583319