Process of Providing Acute Care to the Patients - Article Example

My Definition of Nursing Theory

Nursing theory refers to the establishment of certain specified frameworks that act as guidelines in the process of providing acute care to patients and determining the level of success or failure of nursing practice in the actual scenario. Contextually, nursing theories are attributed as theories based on which the factors associated with intensive care, and guidance to nursing providers are been designed. Furthermore, nursing theory is associated with the development of successive decision-making in real-life situations in the field of providing superior healthcare. Moreover, the key purposes of nursing theories emphasize providing specific guidelines for the establishment of nursing knowledge and practice. Moreover, nursing theories serve as a tool for determining the roles and responsibilities that are associated with specific job roles, such as intensive care nurses and further outline the reasons behind performing such roles.

Purpose of Nursing Theory

Nursing theories serve several purposes and are attributed to a number of characteristics that make it necessary to ensure that people engaged in nursing and the healthcare profession are able to understand such theories and implement them to provide superior care to patients. An understanding of the nursing theories is important since they are associated with providing a specific path for developing the nursing practice and knowledge and further assist in fostering successive knowledge regarding various dimensions underlying the nursing practices. Additionally, the prime necessity behind understanding nursing theories is that they help in developing a successive understanding of variables associated with health, human beings, and the environment (Crossan & Robb, 1998).

In self-practice, while performing the job role of an intensive care nurse, knowledge regarding nursing theories is regarded to be highly essential and provides a definite path to perform the nursing tasks. Moreover, a substantial level of knowledge regarding nursing theories enables healthcare executives to gain a deeper understanding of the job responsibilities and further helps in making effective decision-making while practicing. Moreover, in the actual scenario, nursing practices are associated with the development of a substantial understanding of the factors related to nursing, such as performing job roles effectively and ensuring patient care amongst others, which are determined with the help of knowledge established through nursing theories (Sousa & Hayman, 2002).  

The online journal ‘Nursing Theory Development’ published on the website ‘NEPAE’  and the scholarly article ‘Role of the Nurse: introducing theories and Concepts’ by Frank Crossan & Alna Robb were assessed with the prime aim of evaluating the personal knowledge of intensive care nurse with the actual theories. The website promotes the development of successive knowledge regarding the nursing theory and discusses its implications, types, purposes, and necessities for the medical professionals.

Theoretical Foundations: Philosophy of Nursing

Philosophy is referred as the theory that defines ones self-attitude and behavioral attributes, which plays the role of guided principle in determining the same (Botes, Van Huysteen & Smith, 1990). Nursing theory is characterized by a set of frameworks that defines the role of nursing and provides specific direction for establishment of nursing process effectively. In a similar manner, nursing philosophy is also associated with development of approaches that needed to be followed by nurses in their professional practices (Nursing Theory, 2013).

Nursing philosophy determines one’s direction towards nursing profession, whereas, nursing theories provides framework based on which a nursing profession is been established. Both these aspects have significant effect over each other and related in nature. The personal philosophy of nursing life is to perform the nursing job roles effectively.

Summary and Reflection

Nursing theories and practices enable establishment of specific framework that defines job roles in medical profession. Moreover, in actual scenario, nursing practices is based on interacting with the patients and performing job roles effectively through effective implementation of nursing theories and philosophies.