Theoretical Foundations of Nursing – Review Flashcards

27 flashcards covering major definitions, theory elements, historical eras, and applications drawn from the lecture notes.

Why is theory important in guiding nursing practice?

It offers a structured knowledge base that directs clinical decision-making, care planning, and professional reasoning, ensuring actions are evidence-informed rather than routine or random.

Why is nursing practice important in validating theory?

Real-world practice tests theoretical ideas, confirming what works, revealing gaps, and generating data that refine or discard theories.

Give a real-life example of theory guiding practice in infection control.

Nightingale’s Environmental Theory emphasizes cleanliness and ventilation; applying it leads nurses to ensure adequate airflow and hygiene, which lowers hospital-acquired infection rates.

Name the four nursing domains directly influenced by theory.

Education, Practice, Research, and Administration.

How does theory influence nursing education?

It shapes curricula, learning objectives, teaching strategies, and assessment methods.

How does theory influence nursing research?

It drives hypothesis development, guides methodology selection, and provides a framework for interpreting findings.

Complete the cycle that promotes continuous learning in nursing: Theory ➡ ➡ Research.

Practice

List the five levels in the pathway of knowledge development, from simplest to most complex.

Concepts, Conceptual Frameworks, Models, Theories, Middle-Range Theories.

Define ‘theory’ according to McEwen & Wills (2019).

A set of statements that tentatively describe, explain, and predict relationships among selected concepts as an abstract representation of phenomena.

In Benner’s work, which two key concepts describe a nurse’s growth?

Competence and expertise.

What element of a theory clarifies the meanings of concepts?

Definitions

What theory element shows how concepts relate to one another?

Propositions

What are assumptions in a theory?

Accepted truths taken for granted that support the theory without immediate proof.

Identify the three components of a complete nursing theory, per Barnum (1997).

Context, Content, and Process.

Provide an example of ‘context’ in nursing theory components.

The patient’s room or care environment.

State the American Nurses Association (ANA) definition of nursing.

Diagnosis and treatment of human responses to actual or potential health problems, emphasizing both promotion and curative care.

How does the International Council of Nurses (ICN) define nursing’s scope?

Autonomous and collaborative care for individuals, families, and communities across all ages and settings.

Which Philippine organization defines nursing as an art and science focused on promotion, prevention, restoration, and dignified end-of-life care?

ADPCN (Association of Deans of Philippine Colleges of Nursing).

What type of theory merely observes and describes phenomena without explaining relationships?

Descriptive theory.

Which theory type forecasts outcomes based on certain conditions?

Predictive theory.

Which theory type suggests specific nursing interventions and predicts their results?

Prescriptive theory.

List two characteristics every sound nursing theory should possess.

Logical structure and the ability to generate testable hypotheses (others: simplicity with breadth, consistency with existing knowledge).

Name the historical era of nursing associated with Florence Nightingale and the Crimean War.

Birth of Modern Nursing Era.

During which era did formal nursing curricula become the primary focus?

Curriculum Era.

Which era emphasized evidence-based practice through the introduction of systematic studies?

Research Era.

What is the key feature of the Theory Utilization Era?

Integration of middle-range theories into practice, research, and education.