This document outlines key concepts in nursing philosophy and theory. It begins by defining philosophy of nursing as beliefs about the nature and values of the nursing profession. Nursing theory is then discussed as organized bodies of knowledge that define nursing practice. Theories are categorized into grand, middle-range, and practice-level. Major concepts in theories like concepts, assumptions, and propositions are defined. The document also discusses the purposes of nursing theory in guiding practice and generating knowledge, and how nurses can apply theory in areas like organizing patient data, decision-making, and evaluating outcomes.

1. ARSI UNIVERSITY NURSING DEPARTMENT
FOUNDATION OF NURSING I
By: Mohammed A (Bsc N, MSc N.)

2. Outline
At the end of this chapter you will be able to know;-
Over review of Philosophy Of Nursing and theory
Definition of terms related to theory
Relationship of theory to practice and research
Major nursing theories used for nursing practice
 Non-nursing theories used for nursing practice

3. Philosophy Of Nursing
PHILOSOPHY
The term has been derived from two Greek words, ‘Philos’ means
love and ‘Sophia’ means wisdom.
Philosophy means love for knowledge or passion for learning.
Philosophy of education may be defined as the application
of the fundamental principles of a philosophy of life to the
work of education.

4. Cont.…
Philosophy of nursing states
Our thoughts on what we believe to be true about
the nature of the profession of nursing and
Provide a basis for nursing activities.
These are beliefs and values that define a way of thinking
and are generally known and understood by a group or
discipline.

5. The influence of philosophy in Nursing
For nursing practice:The argument developed here beginsby
aligning by aligning medicine and related conception of
nursing withmaterialism.
For nursing education: students learn consider the patient
holistically; the body, mind and the influence of the
environment because one aspect may affect the other.

6. Cont.….
 For nursing research: the research has been conducted and revealed that
necessity to care holistically to the patient, considering the body, mind and the
environment.
 For nursing management : Nurse manager supervises the staff to make sure the
care given to the clientsin consideration of holistic principles.
 For nursing behavior: the alternative , idealism, brings with it a new set of
problems, particularly the tendency to react against the perceived dominance
of the medical profession instead of positing a philosophy of nursing that
reflects a more considered response.

7. Qualities Of A Nurse
Caring nature
Nurses deal with the sick and injured and their families
on a daily basis, and must be able to show that they truly
care about the situation.
Empathic attitude
Nurses must be able to put themselves in their patients’
shoes to provide the quality care needed.

8. Cont.…
Detail oriented
Nurses must remember to make entries on patients’ charts and
to bring medications at the correct times.
Emotionally stable
 Nurses feel the joy of seeing a new baby born as well as the
pain of losing a long-term patient.
 Emotional stability is crucial to deal with the wide range of
emotions nurses must endure.

9. Cont.…
Adaptable
People are unpredictable at the best of times, but become even
more so under stress, so a nurse’s typical workday will require
flexibility and adaptability.
Hardworking
Nursing is a never ending job. It is unusual for a hospital or
medical center to be overstaffed, which of course means more
workload on each nurse in the unit.

10. Cont.…
Quick thinker :
 When a nurse notices something is not right with a patient, they
must be able to make decisions quickly and put their plans
into action instantly, because a fraction of a second can mean
the difference between life and death.
Physical endurance
Nurses are on their feet all day, sometimes 12 or more hours at
a time, and are often required to assist patients with activities that
require physical strength.

11. Cont.…
Good judgment
A nurse must be able to look at a patient’s current
state and accurately assess what is needed, especially
during emergencies.
Good communication skills
 Nurses must communicate with other nurses,
doctors, patients, and patients’ families clearly.

12. Cont.…
Responsible
Good nurses know how to perform all of their responsibilities
with the utmost accuracy and detail. They play a major role in
assessing and treating patients’ ,and when dealing with the
health of another human being, so nurses must responsibly
carry out their duties at all times.

13. Over review of theory
 Nursing is a unique discipline, shaped by its own concepts and practices.
 It has its own body of knowledge on which delivery of care is based.
 Nursing theories are organized bodies of knowledge to define what nursing
is, what nurses do, and why they do it.
 Nursing theories provide a way to define nursing as a unique discipline that
is separate from other disciplines(e.g., medicine).
 It is a framework of concepts and purposes intended to guide nursing
practice at a more concrete and specific level.

14. Nursing theories categorized into three different
levels
Grand Nursing Theories
 are abstract, broad in scope, and complex, therefore requiring further
research for clarification.
 do not guide specific nursing interventions but rather provide a general
framework and nursing ideas.
 develop their works based on their own experiences and their time,
explaining why there is so much variation among theories.
 Address the nursing metaparadigm components of person, nursing,
health, and environment.

15. Cont.…
Middle-Range Nursing Theories
• More limited in scope and present concepts and propositions at a lower
level of abstraction.
• They address a specific phenomenon in nursing.
• nursing scholars proposed using this level of theory.
• are based on a grand theorist’s works, but they can be conceived from
research, nursing practice, or the theories of other disciplines.

16. Cont.…
Practice-Level Nursing Theories
are situation-specific theories that are narrow in scope and
focuses on a specific patient population at a specific time.
provide frameworks for nursing interventions and suggest
outcomes or the effect of nursing practice.
more direct effect on nursing practice than more abstract theories.
interrelated with concepts from middle-range theories or grand
theories.

17. Defining Terms
Theory.
• A belief, policy, or procedure proposed or followed as the basis of
action.
• It refers to a logical group of general propositions used as
principles of explanation.
• Theories are also used to describe, predict, or control
phenomena.

18. Cont.…
Concept.
Concepts are often called the building blocks of theories.
They are primarily the vehicles of thought that involve images.
Models.
• are representations of the interaction among and between the
concepts showing patterns.
• They present an overview of the theory’s thinking and may
demonstrate how theory can be introduced into practice.

19. Cont.…
Conceptual framework.
 is a group of related ideas, statements, or concepts.
 It is often used interchangeably with the conceptual model and with grand theories.
Proposition.
 are statements that describe the relationship between the concepts.
Domain.
 is the perspective or territory of a profession or discipline.
Process.
 are organized steps, changes, or functions intended to bring about the desired result.

20. Cont.…
Paradigm.
 A paradigm refers to a pattern of shared understanding and assumptions about
reality and the world, worldview, or widely accepted value system.
Metaparadigm.
 is the most general statement of discipline and functions as a framework in which
the more restricted structures of conceptual models develop.
 Much of the theoretical work in nursing focused on articulating relationships
among four major concepts: person, environment, health, and nursing.

21. What are the components of a theory?
 Concepts – ideas and mental images that help to describe
phenomena .
 Definitions – convey the general meaning of the concept
 Assumptions – statements that describe concepts
 Phenomenon – aspect of reality that can be consciously
sensed or experienced.

22. Cont.…
What is a paradigm?
A model that explains the linkages of science, philosophy
and theory accepted and applied by the discipline
What is a domain?
The view or perspective of the discipline
It contains the subject, central concepts, values and beliefs,
phenomena of interest, and the central problems of the
discipline

23. What arethe purposes of nursing theory?
It guides nursing practice and generates knowledge
It helps to describe or explain nursing
Enables nurses to know WHY they are doing WHAT they
are doing

24. Why on earth do westudy nursing theory?
 Everyday practice enriches theory
 Both practice and theory are guided by values and beliefs
 Theory helps to reframe our thinking about nursing
 Theory guides use of ideas and techniques
 Theory can close the gap between theory and research
 To envision potentialities

25. So how do nurses use theory in everyday practice?
Organize patient data Understand patient data Analyze
patient data
Make decisions about nursing interventions
Plan patient care
Predict outcomes of care
Evaluate patient outcomes

26. How do student nurses begin to use nursing theory?
By asking yourself two very important questions
What is the nature of knowledge needed for the
practice of nursing?
What does it mean to me to practice nursing?

27. Commonly used non-nursing theories
Systems theory
Basic Human Needs theory
Health and Wellness Models
Stress and Adaptation
Developmental Theories
Psychosocial Theories