Theory and Practice in the Nursing Field - Assignment Example

The assumptions that are contained in the theory are put into practice to determine if they stand as claimed or otherwise. On the other side, research is the process of coming up with new ideas and knowledge in the nursing discipline through either laboratory tests or experiments or going out to the field and collecting data for analysis. Research is what is on the ground, and any information that is a result of research is deemed to be accurate and thus ideal for making informed decisions (Tappen, 2011).

The three elements correlate as they depend on each other. For instance, research is the initial step among them all; personnel go out to the field and collect empirical data for analysis. However, most nursing research is laboratory based where experiments and tests are conducted to ascertain some principles or facts. Once the research has been established a theoretical framework or documentation is developed on which individuals who want to further their knowledge in a particular field learn (Moule & Goodman, 2009). Theory is what is taught in nursing schools after research has been conducted, and the relevant theoretical frameworks designed. Nursing is a practical discipline thus all the knowledge that is learned theoretically in class has to be put into actual practice, which entails dispensing theoretical knowledge that is taught in class in a real-world environment to ensure it is consistent with what had been earlier researched.

Therefore, practice is what the entire nursing profession is built on as it is the act of rendering services to the patients (Moule & Goodman, 2009). However, discrepancies between practice and standards can be identified by comparing the outcome of the practical work with the standards that had been established earlier. It is prudent that standards are accurate so that the outcome of the practical work can reflect what had been set earlier. Thus, discrepancies are dangerous as they will impact negatively the patients because their medical problems may not be determined and solved effectively because of the variance between practical work and standards (Tappen, 2011).

Patient care technologies are techniques that are designed to rationalize the nursing discipline by ensuring that the practice is conducted in a manner that is consistent and promotes the patient safety of the health workers (Moule & Goodman, 2009). Further, they offer support tools that assist health workers make informed decisions when dealing with crucial patient cases that require critical thinking, which needs to be supplemented with rational decision-making. However, the main advantage of patient care technologies is the regulation of the nursing practice to ensure the activities undertaken by health workers involving similar medical cases are standardized to produce common results (Tappen, 2011).

However, regardless of the knowledge acquired in school, it is imperative to note that patient care is a complex field that requires support systems to ensure it is always safeguarded. Thus, with the advancement of technology, information systems get better hence helping improve the nursing practice in the sense that, there bring about better coordination and synchronization of the medical practice, which makes it possible to solve emerging issues collectively to ensure there are better quality services offered (Moule & Goodman, 2009).