Application of Nursing Theory

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Jennifer Renee’ Long Week 2 – Nursing Theory Assignment Chamberlain College of Nursing NR501 – Theoretical Basis for Advanced Nursing Practice Professor Kadriyya Clark Fall Semester 2013 Nurses need knowledge in order to practice. In 1978, Carper described the four distinct patterns of nursing knowledge in the areas of art, personal-knowing, science, and ethics. This knowledge is organized into nursing theories and general laws in order to describe, explain, and/or predict the phenomena of interest to nursing (Bredow & Peterson, 2009). Theory is fundamental to nursing and is an essential component to the profession. Nursing theory applies conceptual frameworks to guide practice through predicting and describing specific behavior. There are many types of nursing theories out there, but the theory I chose was Dr. Katharine Kolcaba’s, The Comfort Theory. In an effort to address why the profession of nursing needs theory, it is important to identify the purpose and importance of theory in general. Not only does nursing theory need to demonstrate the progress of the profession itself, but nursing theory needs to be meaningful and applicable to our current practice. Many authors have somewhat different opinions of what nursing theory actually means, but the general consensus seems to support the fact that it is a set of clearly defined concepts and values. Assuming that nursing theory is purposeful and goal-oriented, it would lead us to believe that all nursing theories should enhance nursing practice and help nurses provide better patient care (Ingram, 1991). Theory can influence nursing practice both directly and indirectly. It is important because we are able to apply concepts, values, and ideas from a developing body of nursing knowledge from other experts and professionals in the nursing profession into how we currently practice. Without

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