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NR 501 Week 1 Importance of Theory in Nursing
The outcome for week 1 is as follows:
Analyze theories from nursing and relevant fields with respect to their components, relationships among the components, logic of the propositions, comprehensiveness, and utility to advanced nursing. (PO#1)
It is essential to understand why the nursing profession has a theoretical framework. The existence of a theoretical framework is one attribute that makes nursing a profession. Nursing theory is designed to define and construct the framework for nursing practice. Nursing theory may be used to provide structure and organization when collecting data and explaining nursing practice (McEwen & Willis, 2014). Nursing theory is also used to advance nursing practice.
As you read through the assigned chapters, carefully examine the theory that best fits your nursing practice. When reviewing the theories that best fits your nursing practice, consider how your personal values that you hold are reflected in the nursing theories.
Reflect on the following questions.
Why is nursing theory important to the nursing profession? What theoretical concepts do you believe are most significant to your nursing practice? Identify the nursing theory that has been implemented in your current clinical setting. McEwen, M., & Wills, E. (2014). Theoretical basis for nursing. (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Dr. Kari Luoma
For many students enrolled in NR 501, this is an initial course for nursing theory. So, let’s have a debate!!! Is nursing theory important to the nursing profession? If you believe that it is important, explain why it is useful. If you do not believe that it is useful, explain why nursing theory is not necessary to the profession? Be sure to provide an example that demonstrates your opinion and a scholarly reference (not using the required textbook or lesson) which supports your opinion.
Nursing theory can be defined as a rigorous yet creative structure of ideas that emanate a purposeful, tentative, and systematic view of healthcare phenomena. Nursing theories incorporates many theories; with this culmination an introduction of action is placed into model practice. These theories are used to define, revolutionize, and disseminate current nursing knowledge and advance healthcare into the next era. Utilizing these theories provide for a plan for reflection and gives certainty for which the plan should be headed. With each new situation encountered, the framework of nursing theory provides an order for management, research, and decision making. These theories also provide a structure of communication for nurses amongst one another and with other healthcare professionals within the team. Nursing theories assist the nurse in developing goals, beliefs, and values.
Foundations of theory are and will remain an important aspect of nursing and advanced practice nursing education. Today, theory play an even larger role in nursing with increased emphasis on nursing research and evidence-based practices for advanced practice nurses. With this being said, it is expected of nurse practitioner graduates to demonstrate competencies in skills and knowledge in order to provide safe and quality care to a diverse population of patients in a very complicated health care system.
With increase in acuity of patients, hospitalization length decreasing, and the boom of healthcare technology and specialization, the need for highly experienced nurses have increased. With this increase in need, the responsibility and complexity of current nursing practice requires constant, long term career development. According to the AACN, many Master’s level nursing programs were reported to have wide varying clinical practicum requirements, didactic course work experiences, and titling. Unfortunately, in certain instances, new graduates from these nursing programs reportedly had no direct care experiences in their chosen master’s programs such as adult health, community health, and child health (AACN, 2011).
From Novice to Expert, a theory formulated by Patricia Benner, is probably one of the simplest nursing theories to understand. Benner’s theory proposes that in gaining and developing skills, a nurse must pass through five proficiency levels: as a novice, an advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and lastly, an expert. Advancing through each level reflects a movement from dependence on abstract principles to the application of past concrete experiences. As a nurse advances through each step, she builds upon the previous step and gains clinical expertise with each advancement (Benner, 1982).
In Benner’s first stage of clinical competence, the novice or beginner has little to no experience in circumstances in which they are expected to perform in. There is lack of confidence in demonstrating safe practice and the requirement of continuous verbal and physical cues are present. Practice is within an extended period of time and the individual is unable to make and use discretionary, independent judgement. An example of this would be a nursing student in the first year of clinical education; upon observation, the observer will witness limited and inflexible behavior in the clinical setting. Novices lack the ability to predict and ascertain what may occur in certain patient situations, i.e., mental status change, this knowledge may be obtained once a novice nurse has gained experience working with patients who have had similar symptoms (1982.
The next stage of clinical competence, advanced beginner, the nurse demonstrates slightly acceptable performance due to prior experiences in actual situations. The nurse is competent and skillful in certain areas of practice, requiring minimal verbal and physical cues with continued knowledge development. These are nurses who have obtained a first job, acquired experiences which allow them to recognize situations in which they have been previously exposed and have the knowledge combined with the know-how to respond but still lack in depth experience.
Benner’s third stage, Competence, is demonstrated by the nurse who has been practicing in the same job/situation for at least two to three years. The nurse holds the ability to demonstrate efficiency, possesses coordination and confidence in her actions. A plan effectively establishes a perspective and is based on substantial abstract, conscious, logical contemplation of the situation. The deliberate, conscious planning associated with this skill level assists the nurse in achieving efficiency and organization with care completion in an appropriate timeframe with no supporting cues.
For Benner’s next stage, Proficient, the nurse’s perception of a situation is whole rather than in bits and pieces. The proficient nurse understands and views the situation a whole due to the ability to perceive the meaning in terms of long term goals. The Proficient nurse obtains knowledge from experience from typical situations, how to respond to these situations and how to modify plans in response to these situations. The Proficient nurse holds the ability to recognize what is an atypical event/situation. The Proficient nurse perceives decision making as holistic and decision making becomes less arduous due to gained experience.
For Benner’s last stage, Expert, the nurse has the ability to intuitively grasp each situation and event which allows for accurate assessment and addressing of certain problems without unnecessary wasting of consideration, time, and solutions. The Expert nurse functions from a deep understanding of the situation as a whole. Performance becomes flexible and fluid with high proficiency. For situations in which the nurse has had no exposure or experience, a high skilled analytic ability is necessary.
When applying the metaparadigm in Benner’s perspective, the perception is that the person does not enter this world pre-defined but is defined through the course of living life; a self–interpreting being, the view is of the person being a participant in common meanings (Tomey & Allgood, 2002). According to Benner, the person must understand and handle the role of the situation, the body, the personal concern, and temporality. Benner’s focus on health was through the lived experience of being healthy and sick. Benner defined health as objective assessment, with well-being as experienced by health and wholeness. For Benner, environment, or situation, is used to suggest a social atmosphere. This is defined by Benner as the person’s involved interaction, perception, interpretation, and understanding of the situation.
According to Huffstutler, newly graduated nurse practitioners often express feelings of being a “fake” or “imposter, as they make the transition from nurse to nurse practitioner (2006). After exceeding the stages of novice to expert, the newly graduated nurse practitioner must once again gain experience and get established in a “new” situation and role. Huffstutler suggests strategies for new nurse practitioners to develop during this transitional phase is to be aware of the transition. Self-reflection and calm inward looking may assist with this transitional process. The novice nurse practitioner should acknowledge initial lack of command as a nurse practitioner.
As I review this theory and its stages, I have the ability to ascertain where my methods and practice arise from. Applying Benner’s stages, I had no knowledge, I gained knowledge, I developed confidence, and I became an expert. As a nurse, it is crucial that we recognize and are able to differentiate between cultures and the many different views of healthcare, amongst life and death and are able to work within these frameworks to provide the best and most effective quality of care for our patients.
American Associations of Colleges of Nursing (2011). The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/education- resources/MastersEssentials11.pdf.
Benner, P. (1984). From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice. Menlo Park: Addison-Wesley, pp. 13-34.
Huffstutler, S. Y. (2006). The Impostor Phenomenon in New Nurse Practitioner Graduates. Topics in Advanced Practice Nursing EJournal, 6(2).
Tomey, A. M., & Allgood, M. R. (2002). Nursing Theorists and Their Work. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 42(1), 114. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2004.05.009
Debate with classmates on the dominant philosophical schools of thought in nursing (received view and perceived view). Which worldview best encompasses the profession of nursing? Why? Provide an example.
Purpose
Nursing practice is both an art and a science with caring as a central concept to nursing practice and the profession of nursing. Caring is influenced by the nurse’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes formed through lifelong learning and experiences. The purpose of this assessment is to explore definitions of caring in nursing. Students will create a definition of caring and an artistic expression of their perception on caring.
Course Outcomes
Through this assessment, the student will meet the following Course Outcomes.
CO 1: Examine roles and competencies of master’s-prepared nurses essential to performing as leaders and advocates of holistic, safe, and quality care.
CO 2: Apply concepts of person-centered care to nursing practice situations.
Total Points Possible
This assessment is worth 125 points.
Due Date
Submit your file(s) by 11:59 p.m. MT Sunday at the end of Week 2.
Requirements
Criteria for Content
Take a moment to reflect on how you demonstrate caring in your current professional practice.
Create an original artistic representation of your perception on caring in nursing.
Drawings should be formatted on an 8 x 10 document and submitted as a PDF
Poems or short-story – word document 1 page in length
In a one- to two-page written paper, address the following.
The importance of caring to nursing practice and the profession
A personal definition of caring; include principles of holistic care
Definitions of caring found in nursing literature that support your perspective on caring
An explanation of the artistic expression you chose and how it represents caring
Summary of key concepts presented in the paperPreparing the paper. NR500 All Assignments latest 2018
Submission Requirements
Application: Use Microsoft Word 2013™ to create the written component of this assessment.
Length:
The paper (excluding the title page and reference page) should be at least one but no more than two pages.
Artistic representation submitted as an 8X10 PDF or word document
A minimum of three (3) scholarly literature references must be used.
Submission: Submit your files labeled Lastname_First Initial_Wk2Assignment_Caring
Best Practices in Preparing the Project
The following are best practices in preparing this project.
Review directions thoroughly.
Follow submission requirements for selected type of artistic expression.
Make sure all elements on the grading rubric are included.
Rules of grammar, spelling, word usage, and punctuation are followed and consistent with formal, scientific writing.
Title page, running head, body of paper, and reference page must follow APA guidelines as found in the 6th edition of the manual. This includes the use of headings for each section of the paper except for the introduction where no heading is used.
Ideas and information that come from scholarly literature must be cited and referenced correctly.
A minimum of three (3) scholarly literature references must be used.
Abide by CCN academic integrity policy.