Ideas, questions, and phenomena within the domain of nursing are the sources of ideas for theory development.
Initially, nursing was almost completely dependent on other disciplines for sources of theoretical content in order to provide the underpinnings of nursing practice. This allowed other disciplines, particularly medicine, to dictate the problems of nursing instead of allowing nursing to generate its own questions.
In the early days of nursing education, theoretical content was derived from the domain of medicine, as the medical paradigm was far more powerful and better developed. Thus, medicine controlled nursing theory and, as a result, the domain of its knowledge.
At the same time, nursing practice was also taking the first tentative steps toward becoming a source of theory. The patient, as the recipient of care, and actual nursing acts formed the focus of early theory development, and this change in focus reflects the initial efforts to differentiate nursing and medicine.
Consequently, nurses’ experience became a major source of theory because nursing care knowledge was based on personal experiences, transmitted through apprenticeship, teaching, and texts.
In the recent times, nursing theory has originated from:
Your “Personal Philosophy and Theoretical Concepts” Paper is due this week. Your paper should contain the following sections:
You MUST use the attached template here to complete your paper.
The paper is to be thoroughly researched and well documented, with relevant material from the nursing theorists presented incorporated into the paper. Use the current edition of the APA Manual throughout the paper. Sources should focus on references from nursing theory but may also include conceptual and theoretical material from other professional domains.
The paper, excluding references or appendices, is to be limited to 3-5 pages. Writing should be succinct and well organized, as it is impossible for the facilitator to evaluate form and content separately.
The identification of nursing theory sources that are compatible with nursing work and accommodate the nursing perspective paved the way for the emergence of nursing philosophies. Nursing philosophy consists of assumptions and beliefs that guide the framework of nursing practice. This philosophy encompasses societal and individual human experiences (Salsberry, 1994)1, and addresses two central areas of commonality: the nature of human beings and the focus of nursing.
Inherent fundamental assumptions provide the foundation of nursing philosophy. These philosophies help nurses to identify the focus of nursing as something quite different from that of the biomedical sciences.
Nursing philosophies also initiate reflective practice and encourage nursing professionals—from the novice to the expert—to explore their own values regarding health, nursing, and interaction with clients.
Though there are numerous philosophies and conceptualizations which have been developed over the past few decades, in this course we’ll be focusing on only a select few which have guided nursing endeavors.
A phenomenon is the term used to describe a perception or responses to an event. Examples of phenomena in nursing include caring and responses to stress. Assumptions are the ideas that we take for granted. They explain the nature of the concepts in the theory, giving it structure.
Choose a middle-range theory or grand theory that, in your opinion, can be applied to research.
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Kristen Swanson’s middle-range theory, The Theory of Healing and Caring (1991), was created for women who miscarried, the neonatal intensive care unit caregivers who are the parents and healthcare professionals, and for any at-risk mothers. Swanson (1991, p.162) defined caring as, “a nurturing way of relating to a valued other toward whom one feels a personal sense of commitment and responsibility”.
She felt that by adopting her five concepts into the care that is provided, the professional could focus on the patient not so much on the tasks. The five concepts are known as maintaining belief, knowing, being with, doing for, and enabling. Butts and Rich (2017, p.552) states, “ Swanson believed when a provider takes the time to know, be with, do, enable, and maintain belief in the other, the recipient feels a sense of wholeness”.
Kristen Swanson quickly had an interest in caring at the very beginning of nursing school at a clinical site when she witnessed the nursing professional and primary care. Swanson credits other theorists who helped influence her beliefs and theory such as Dr. Jacqueline Fawcett and Dr. Jean Watson.
Fawcett inspired her through understanding the relationship of caring for others and their well-being. Watson and Swanson’s parallel work was based on research and crediting each others work, all while seeing the individuality in each one. Furthermore, Dr. Kathryn M. Bernard encouraged Swanson to test her caring theory in randomized trials. (Peterson and Bredow, 2017, p.139)
The main concern of Swanson’s theory is actually defining what caring is. If you were to speak to each nurse in this profession, majority will say that they became a nurse because they care. However, that could mean something different to each nurse and can be displayed in various ways. Peterson and Bredow (2017, p.136) state, “Over the past few decades, philosophical debates, research, and theory development have ensued to define the concept of caring, articulate caring behaviors, and identify outcomes of caring for patients, families, nurses, organizations, and society”.
Each person can show how he or she care in different ways and the outcome can vary depending on how the person receives it. Furthermore, Peterson and Bredow (2017, p.136) state, “Also of deep concern is detecting and eliminating barriers to caring in clinical practice”. Many times, us nurses forget about the main reason we can into this profession and its not due to carelessness but to the overwhelming and increasing amounts of tasks we are required to do mostly from management.
Redundant and unnecessary paperwork takes away from the bedside where we need to show our caring capabilities to overall improve patient care.
One assumption Swanson identifies is that caring is not solely limited to nursing, yet it is a component from the nurse and patient relationship. This can occur in any nurse-patient relationships that possess the five concepts. Another assumption is that caring does not come from the amount of nurses’ experience but from attitude, understanding the experience, having verbal and nonverbal conversations with the patient, enabling, and the outcome of the patient.
Peterson and Bredow (2017, p.140) identifies another assumption as, “caring processes coexist and overlap and cannot be delivered in a linear way or in separation from one another”. The last assumption is that if Swanson identified the definition of caring is a more clear way, than her theory could be applied to any relationship.
In summary, The Theory of Healing and Caring by Kristen Swanson was focused on three phenomenons: the grieving mother, the NICU caregiver, and the at risk mother. Caring is not only for nursing but can be applied to any relationship. By utilizing the five concepts, the nurse can focus on the patient through caring rather than the tasks. Swanson was inspired by many theorists but understood the individuality between hers and Dr. Watsons’ theory.
Caring can be understood and shown in different ways. Jarvis (2019, p.266) states, “Defined as such, caring is an abstract concept that must be clarified in terms of concrete concepts”. Caring does not come from the nurses experience but by the attitude and outcome toward the patient. When defined clearly, caring can be applied to any working relationship.
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