Theoretical Foundations of Nursing

Flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture notes on nursing foundations, theory, roles, and Levine's conservation principles.

What is the definition of nursing?

Nursing is the profession that combines art and science, involving education in the scientific knowledge, skills, and philosophy of nursing, regulated by standards of practice and ethical codes; nurses promote health, prevent illness, protect patient safety, alleviate suffering, facilitate recovery and adaptation, and uphold dignity.

What are the two aspects of nursing described as art and science?

Nursing as Art relies on knowledge from practice and reflection; Nursing as Science is based on scientifically tested knowledge applied in practice.

What is the philosophy of nursing?

The core values and principles underpinning nursing practice, including compassion, respect, cultural safety, and ethics.

What are the three main elements of a profession?

Disciplinary knowledge/skills; regulation with standards of practice and codes of behavior; and public codes of behavior/ethical standards.

What are forms of knowledge in nursing?

Scientific, ethical, personal, aesthetic, and socio-political knowledge.

What are some core values emphasized in the BSN program?

Love of God; Caring as the core of nursing (compassion, competence, confidence, conscience, commitment).

What are the 'Love of People' and 'Love of Country' concepts in the program?

Love of People: Respect for dignity of every person regardless of creed, color, gender, political affiliation. Love of Country: Patriotism, social responsibility and good governance; preservation/enhancement of environment and culture heritage.

Who is associated with the quote 'Nursing at its beginning' in the notes?

Florence Nightingale.

What are the professional roles of nurses listed in the notes?

Care provider, communicator, teacher, counselor, client advocate, change agent, leader, manager, researcher.

What are the four expanded roles of nurses?

Nurse Generalist, Nurse Clinician, Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Specialist.

What is a Nurse Generalist?

A registered nurse with a broad base of knowledge and skills who provides general nursing care across settings; focuses on basic patient care including assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation.

What is a Nurse Clinician?

An experienced RN with advanced clinical skills who provides direct patient care and may be a resource for others.

What is a Nurse Practitioner?

An APRN with advanced education and certification in primary or acute care who can diagnose, treat, prescribe medications, order tests, and often works independently to promote health and manage conditions.

What is a Nurse Specialist?

An APRN with specialized expertise in a particular area; focuses on a specific population or clinical area, provides expert care, consultation, education, and may conduct research.

What are the key differences among these roles in terms of focus and education?

Nurse Generalist – basic care; Associate's or Bachelor's degree. Nurse Clinician – advanced care; Bachelor's degree or higher. Nurse Practitioner – primary/acute care; Master’s or Doctoral. Nurse Specialist – expert care in a specific area; Master’s or Doctoral.

What are nursing theories?

Nursing theories are organized bodies of knowledge to define what nursing is, what nurses do, and why they do it.

What are the characteristics of a theory?

Interrelating concepts to create a new way of looking at a phenomenon; logical in nature; generalizable; basis for testable hypotheses; increases knowledge; used to guide practice; consistent with other validated theories but with open questions.

What are the components of a theory according to Barnum (1994)?

Context, Concept, and Process.

What are the components of the theory framework by Newman & Newman (2016)?

Concept, Definition, Assumption/Proposition, Phenomena.

What are Myra Levine's Four Conservation Principles of Nursing?

Conservation of Energy, Conservation of Structural Integrity, Conservation of Personal Integrity, Conservation of Social Integrity.

What is the goal of Levine's conservation theory?

To promote wellness while realizing that every individual requires a unique cluster of activities to achieve wholeness.

What does Levine say about ethical behavior?

"Ethical behaviour is not the display of one's moral rectitude in times of crisis, it is the day-to-day expression of one's commitment to other persons and the ways in which human beings relate to one another in their daily interactions."