Application of Theory to Practice
This article confers the interrelationship linking nursing theory, practice and research in the subject of gerontological treatment. The article further discusses the knowledge requirements inside gerontological nursing and also some suggestions for additional middle range theories and study (Vicky, Mar 24 ’09). This paper stipulates that science, theory, practice and research are the vital elements of the specialty of nursing. The article further states that newly developed theories derived from practice would produce fresh studies. The studies will consequently generate original comprehension for practice in nursing. Thus, there exists a mutual and interactive relationship which aims at advancing the practice of nursing. The article describes nursing knowledge as the entire hypothetical structure, practice and research in nursing. The hypothetical structure is compared to a hierarchy which consists of rankings that concentrate on nursing’s fundamental principles.
These principles include; philosophies, the metaparadigm, theories and conceptual models (Meleis, 2007). The metapradigm is the highest ranking in the hypothetical structure and also the most theoretical. It covers wider central impression of person, health, nursing and environment. However, the philosophical aspect which follows, scrutinizes the meaning and nature of the nursing discipline and the units of the metaparadigm. The conceptual models come in the lower rank of abstraction on the hypothetical structure. It tackles the innermost ideas in the nursing metaparadigm. These models presents a peculiar outlook on people and also spells out the criteria to be used in delivery of healthcare, decision making and structure reasoning. The nursing theories which are the lowest rank are developed from these conceptual models (McEwen, 2007). These theories are made of more distinct arrays of associated concepts which describe, control, explain and predict phenomena.
The article utilizes the middle range theories which are pertinent in providing compassion to the geriatric patients. These theories include the Uncertainty in Illness theory, Olson’s theory of the empathetic process and the theory of Health related quality of life. However, the study highly utilizes the practice presumption of the Needs theory of nursing. In this article, the theory is portrayed in a descriptive aspect. It emphasizes on the significance of improving a patient’s autonomy to support their unrelenting healing development after hospitalization phase. It describes how nurses should assist patients so as to impact on their recovery process in gerontological nursing. This theory can be valuable in undertaking a nursing research.
It can be applied by a researcher to formulate a research problem on why patient’s recovery process is prolonged when the nursing care is not provided fully. In a research perspective, the theory can also be applied to make a comparison between the role of nurses and the expected results on patient’s health. Thus the theory forms an integral point in the discipline of nursing research. The theory is applied in my nursing practice in a way that the nurses help patients after being discharged from the hospital. This support offered helps to accelerate the rate at which patients recover and become of good health. However, in my practice, support from nurses is also provided in the hospitalization phase of patients. This therefore, is in accordance with the theory of needs which demands that nurses should provide support and care so as to improve the level of healing for their patients.
References
Meleis, A. (2007). Theoretical nursing: Development and progress (4th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
McEwen, M., & Wills, E. (2007). Theoretical basis for nursing (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Vicky, R. (Mar 24, '09). Gerontological Nursing: The Interrelationship between Theory, Practice, and Research. Retrieved Tuesday, Mar 12, 2013, from http://allnurses.com/showthread.php?t=379831
