Introduction to Nursing Theories

Flashcards covering the history, definitions, eras, and components of nursing theories based on the lecture notes.

Florence Nightingale (1859/1969)

Presented the first nursing theory which focused on the manipulation of the environment for the benefit of the patient.

The Columbia School (1950s)

The era of the first theoretical conceptualization of nursing science, focusing on the functional roles of the nurse and patient problems.

The Yale School (1960s)

An era where nursing theory focused on the relationship between the nurse and the patient, featuring theorists like Wiedenbach and Orlando.

Nursing Science Quarterly

A journal founded by Rosemarie Rizzo Parse devoted exclusively to theory-based research findings and theoretical topics.

Curriculum Era (1900 to 1940s)

A historical era where the major question was what content student nurses should study, resulting in standardized curricula for diploma programs.

Research Era (1950 to 1970s)

An era focusing on the role of nurses and what to research, leading to the realization that isolated studies do not yield unified knowledge.

Theory Era (1980 to 1990s)

A period where nursing theoretical works shifted the focus to the patient and frameworks began to guide research and practice.

Theory Utilization Era (Twenty-first Century)

Current era where nursing frameworks produce evidence for quality care and guide education, administration, and practice.

Concept

A mental formulation of an object or event that comes from an individual perceptual experience; the basic unit of theoretical thinking.

Theory

A set of interrelated concepts, definitions, and propositions that present a systematic way of viewing facts or events for explaining and predicting.

Principle

A fundamental truth or proposition serving as the foundation for belief or action; a fundamental source or basis of something.

Assumption

Principles that are accepted as being true based on logic or reason but without proof or verification.

Phenomenon

An aspect of reality that can be consciously sensed or experienced; in nursing, they reflect the domain of nursing practice.

Conceptual Model

A set of highly abstract, related constructs that broadly explains phenomena of interest and reflects a philosophical stance.

Proposition

A statement that proposes a relationship between concepts and represents the theorist's view of how concepts fit together.

Philosophy

Fundamental knowledge dealing with wisdom and the processes used to develop and construct perceptions of life.

Science

A body of knowledge and the processes of observation, identification, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena.

Knowledge

Awareness of reality and understanding acquired through learning or investigation of a discipline's subject matter.

Definition

Composed of various descriptions which convey a general meaning and reduce vagueness in understanding a set of concepts.

Abstract Concepts

Concepts that are independent of a specific time or place, such as a social system.

Concrete Concepts

Concepts that relate to a particular time or place, such as the Jackson Family.

Discrete Concepts

Also called nonvariable concepts, these identify categories or classes of phenomena where something either belongs or does not belong.

Continuous Concepts

Concepts that permit the classification of dimensions or graduations of a phenomenon on a continuum.

Theoretical definition

Gives meaning to terms in the context of the theory and permits a reader to assess the validity of that definition.

Operational definition

Tells how a concept is linked to concrete situations and establishes how it is measured.

Theoretical Linkages

Offer an explanation of why variables in a theory may be connected, contributing plausibility to the theory.

Operational Linkages

Provide a perspective for understanding the nature of relationships between concepts, such as whether they are negative, positive, linear, or curvilinear.

Primitive Terms

Terms in the ordering of a theory that remain undefined.

Derived Terms

Terms in a theory that are specifically introduced through definition.

Nursing Metaparadigm

The collective of the four core concepts of nursing: person, environment, health, and nursing.

Independent Variable

Also known as the antecedent or determinant variable, it is the variable assumed to influence another.

Dependent Variable

Also known as the consequent or resultant variable, it is the variable influenced by the antecedent.