Five Stages in Nursing Theory - Essay Example

"Five Stages in Nursing Theory" is an engrossing example of a paper on care.
There have been a number of events and incidences that have benefitted a lot from the use and application of various and relevant nursing theories. The theories have been developed and formulated by experienced individuals in the field of nursing and medicine. One of the most applied or used theory is a trans-cultural theory, which is attributed to Leininger. Other nursing theorists are Betty Newman, and Virginia Henderson. Just like other areas of studies and principles, the development of nursing theories followed a given path or rule before they were considered worthwhile and relevant to be used in various health institutions (Baer, 2001). This paper will look into the lucid analysis of the five stages taken in the development of nursing theories and philosophy.

Silent Knowledge Stage

This theory developed because of the 1868 Civil War. The treatment of the American soldiers was not a good one as it was conducted by untrained nurses. This gave leeway for thinking, as well as, eruption and invention of new ideas and suggestions concerning the use of formal training in nursing schools. This was an effort of the American Medical Association. The association suggested that all nursing schools were to be attached to hospitals. The teachings and lectures were carried out by the hospital nurses and physicians. The first training was done in 1872. The effect of the discovery led to widespread use or teaching of the theories in almost more than 1000 nursing schools. It ensured that each nursing school was attached to at least one hospital in order to learn the basics such as anatomy. 

Received Knowledge Stage

This stage mainly comprises the challenges that were faced by nursing, especially after the Second World War. There was a serious decline in the enrolment of nursing schools. The 1948 report by Esther Brown, Nursing for the future compared teaching with nursing. She concluded that education was the central problem and challenge to nursing practices. She, therefore, advocated for formal education in the field of nursing (Brown, 1948). Nursing Research, the 1950 journal encouraged students to pursue nursing as a course at the graduate level in order to gain the necessary basics of the relevant nursing practices and theories (Basavanthappa, 2007).

Subjective knowledge stage

This stage comprises the uprising of new nursing experts and theorists. It is a fruit of the initial teachings of nursing in school informal ways. Various theorists are [involved in this stage. For instance, Hildegard Peplau, and Nightingale. Historically, the development of nursing theories claims its attribution to three main philosophers; Patricia James, Dickoff James, and Weidenbach Ernestine. The description of nursing models and nursing among these people came from their educational, personal, and professional experiences (Willis & McEwen, 1989). This made them reflect their perception of ideal nursing practice. 

Procedural knowledge stage

This involves an advanced stage that involves the publishing of new books concerning a given nurse theory. This stage also involves the development of consensus among the nursing leaders. The nurses agree on a single model that can describe the relationship among client, environment, nurse, and health (Kollak & Kim, 2006).

Constructed Knowledge Stage

It is referred to as the current stage of nursing theory development. It involves the concentration of various nursing scholars on the theories that seem to provide meaningful information and foundation for the nursing practice. The 21st century came up with the philosophy of nursing and science paving ways for research in the field of nursing. It resulted in the development of nursing.