Nursing theories plays a very vital role in nursing education. The theories are a source of important information that creates awareness to nursing students. The nursing scholars understand the actions that they are required to perform in ensuring that they certify the professional standards of the nursing career. The theories help the nursing students to handle the patients during treatment and care in the right manner. Thus, I will provide a detailed analysis of the importance of nursing theories in creating a body of knowledge useful in nursing education.
The nursing theories help the learners to understand the expected roles of a nurse in medical filed, medical practice and health institutions.. The nurses also ensure that decision-making is supported with evidence (Kim & Kollak, 2006). Evidently, nursing theories are similar to other educational theories. The nursing veterans provided insight by documenting observations and innovations in the nursing practice. The documented observations have always guided the nursing students in both classwork and practice of the profession.
Nursing theories have been indispensable to make the nursing profession recognized. In the beginning, nursing practice was highly ignored by practitioners as nobody thought that it could transform into a profession of its own. The theories provide intuition of a specialized understanding that promotes the nursing education into higher learning (Parker & Smith, 2010). The nursing theories have also contributed to the improvement of techniques and nursing education because of the specialized knowledge associated with the nursing theories. The nursing theories have always targeted to incorporate human and social welfare in the minds of the training nurses.
The role of nursing theories in nursing education also includes incorporating empirical, inferential and empirical concepts. The theories have helped the scholars to learn on the best ways to interpret results and concepts hence, supporting scientific evidence in their practice. For instance, the Orlando’s theory provides insight to the training nurses on the best way to connect with their clients in the process of healthcare delivery. The theory has always helped nurses to build a positive attitude in the process of care and treatment because of its knowledge. The theories have always made studying nursing interesting and the practice more popular and noble.
Florence Nightingale came up with nursing theories that put emphasis on the need for cleanliness in healthcare setting. Though most of her theories are outdated, they have laid a foundation creating awareness to nursing students on the need for a better nursing-patient interaction. Nursing education has always improved and it gets advanced because of the support from the nursing theories (Kim & Kollak, 2006). In most settings, the students easily master the rule of the fame when guided using the theories. The knowledge of the theories helps the nurses to solve the most critical situations with ease.
The theories have a role to play to ensure that nurses are familiar with the medical knowledge needed to help nurses perform their duties diligently. The incorporation of the nursing theories in nursing education aims at providing practical knowledge and experience to improve care delivery to the patients (Parker & Smith, 2010). The nursing theories are independent and they have always guided policy makers in the process of formulating a professional nursing policy. The nursing intellectuals have developed personal qualities that promote the professional to another level. In conclusion, it is important to understand the role of the nursing theories in nursing education since they improves the knowledge of training nurses, thus, improving patient care and treatment.
Reference
Kim, H. S., & Kollak, I. (2006). Nursing theories: Conceptual & philosophical foundations. New York, NY: Springer Pub. Co.
Parker, M. E., & Smith, M. C. (2010). Nursing theories and nursing practice. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co.
