Theory-Practice Reflection

Sample Answer

The practice of nursing in the modern world is highly influenced by nursing theories. There exist different theories that are largely utilized in the provision of care. They have universally shared concepts that ensure that uniformity in care is achieved irrespective of the condition of the patient. The concepts that are seen in all the theories of nursing include health, person/patient, nursing, and environment. Often, nurses ensure that the care they give to the diverse populations addresses these concepts.

For instance, the wellbeing of a patient cannot be promoted if a focus is not placed on creating an environment that promotes healing. The constant use of nursing theories tends to influence the worldview of the nurses. The influence can be seen from the fact that nurses draw their values, beliefs, and practices from the theoretical underpinnings of the nursing theories (Alvinius, 2017). Due to this, nursing theories have been considered important in advancing nursing practice. Therefore, this research paper is a reflection of my experience in the unit and determination of whether theories advance nursing practice.

This course has had a significant impact on my personal and professional development. It has exposed me to a wide range of issues that influence my practice as a nurse. One of them is the role of nursing theories in advancing nursing care. The course has exposed me to a wide range of theories that can be utilized to advance the quality of nursing care. It has also challenged me to explore the manner in which the different concepts of nursing theories can be incorporated into care. I have learned from the course that besides being advocates, nurses should also constantly seek new ways in which nursing care can be improved. This includes the investigation of the manner in which evidenced-based practice can be promoted in healthcare. Therefore, based on the knowledge gained in the course, I believe that nursing theories advance nursing practice.

Nursing theories and models advance nursing practice in several ways. One of these ways is that they enable nurses to make decisions on the things they know and those they need to know. They also enable them to know the things that form the basis of their practice through their explicit description of nursing. Through this understanding, nurses are able to provide better care to their patients, improve their professional status, and guide the improvement initiatives in nursing education (McEwen & Wills, 2019). According to Alvinius (2017), advancement in nursing practice cannot be quantified. There exist no methods for measuring improvement in nursing practice. As a result, nursing models and theories remain the most effective ways in which professional advancement can be achieved as well as measured in nursing.

Nursing theories and models also promote advancement in nursing by acting as source of knowledge in nursing. The practice of nursing entails borrowing of knowledge from nursing theories and models. Theories and models exist to ensure that nursing knowledge is not obtained from other sources such as sociology and psychology, which can dilute nursing practice. The models and theories also act as sources of concepts that can be utilized in nursing research to advance professional practice (Peate & Wild, 2017). Therefore, the constant examination of the different contexts in which nursing concepts can be used form the basis of knowledge development in the profession.

According to McEwen and Wills (2019), nursing theories and models advance nursing practice by promoting knowledge-based practice. They guide the manner in which the nurses should practice in different contexts. In doing this, nurses are guided by assumptions of their practice that include knowledge of nursing being complex and multidimensional, knowledge focusing on meeting the needs of clients, and knowledge application being specific to contexts. There is also the evidence that nursing theories and models promote the advancement of nursing practice by acting as a source of unique language for nurses. It demonstrates the uniqueness of the profession within and outside the profession (Kearney, 2019). Therefore, the nursing knowledge obtained from models and theories of nursing is important in enabling the nurses to generate specific questions that can guide and advance nursing practice.

Nursing theories and models also promote the advancement of the nursing practice by guiding knowledge development through research. According to Alligood (2017), a symbiotic relationship exists between nursing theory and research. Generally, research acts as a source of theory as well as a tool for testing a theory. This can be seen from the fact that while qualitative research strives to generate theories, quantitative research on the other hand tests them. Nursing theories and models act as sources of concepts that form the basis of nursing research. They also act as theoretical frameworks under which nursing research is done. Through this role, metaparadigms are developed, which provide a common frame for communicating about nursing knowledge (Alligood, 2017). Consequently, the role of nursing models and theories in research is important in promoting the advancement of nursing practice.

Despite the existence of the above evidences on the influence of nursing theories and models in advancing nursing practice, some scholars argue that they do not contribute to advancement in nursing practice. According to them, nursing theories and models are too general. This implies that it is too difficult for nurses to apply the models and theories to all individuals they care for in their organizations. There is also the argument that nursing theories and models do not provide an outline to be used in implementing every nursing intervention. This is despite them providing the theoretical bases in which specific situations can be addressed (Alligood, 2017). Despite these arguments, I believe that nursing theories and models advance nursing practice.

In conclusion, the course has significantly influenced my personal and professional development. It has expanded my understanding of the manner in which nursing theories and models can be put into practice. I believe that nursing models and theories advance nursing practice. They provide concepts that guide nursing actions, knowledge development, and research. Therefore, nurses should explore further the different ways in which the goals of care can be achieved with the use of different models of care.

References

• Alligood, M. R. (2017). Nursing theorists and their work. Philadelphia,PA Elsevier.
  Alvinius, A. (2017). Contemporary leadership challenges. Rijeka, Croatia InTech.
• Kearney, N. R. (2019). Advancing your career Concepts of professional nursing. Philadelphia, PA F. A. Davis Company.
• Peate, I., & Wild, K. (2017). Nursing Practice Knowledge and Care. Newark, NJ John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
• McEwen, M., & Wills, E. M. (2019). Theoretical basis for nursing. Philadelphia, PA Wolters Kluwer.