Exploring middle-range theories and framing practice issues
Exploring middle-range theories and framing practice issues
You will begin this Discussion by identifying a practice issue that will be your frame of reference as you analyze the theoretical basis of nursing practice. Be aware that your choice can potentially carry through the course, as you will continue to address this issue in the context of other types of theories in Week 3. This practice issue can also be one focus of your Module 3 exploration of evidence-based practice and quality improvement, and your Module 4 investigation of a critical practice question. Consequently, as you prepare for this Discussion, think carefully about your example for connecting middle-range nursing theories to patient care.
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
• McEwen, M., & Wills, E. M. (2019). Theoretical basis for nursing (5th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
o Chapter 10, “Introduction to Middle Range Nursing Theories Download Introduction to Middle Range Nursing Theories” (pp. 207–222) [PDF]
Theoretical Basis for Nursing, 5th Edition by McEwen, M.; Wills, E. Copyright 2019 by Wolters Kluwer. Reprinted by permission of Wolters Kluwer via the Copyright Clearance Center. Licensed in 2020.
• McEwen, M., & Wills, E. M. (2019). Theoretical basis for nursing (5th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
o Chapter 11, “Overview of Selected Middle Range Nursing Theories Download Overview of Selected Middle Range Nursing Theories” (pp. 223–252) [PDF]
Theoretical Basis for Nursing, 5th Edition by McEwen, M.; Wills, E. Copyright 2019 by Wolters Kluwer. Reprinted by permission of Wolters Kluwer via the Copyright Clearance Center. Licensed in 2020.
• McEwen, M., & Wills, E. M. (2019). Theoretical basis for nursing (5th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
o Chapter 19, “Application of Theory in Nursing Practice Download Application of Theory in Nursing Practice” (pp. 434–451) [PDF]
Theoretical Basis for Nursing, 5th Edition by McEwen, M.; Wills, E. Copyright 2019 by Wolters Kluwer. Reprinted by permission of Wolters Kluwer via the Copyright Clearance Center. Licensed in 2020.
• Document: Writing a Philosophy of Nursing Practice (Word document)Download Writing a Philosophy of Nursing Practice (Word document)
(Review from Week 1)
________________________________________
TO PREPARE:
• Analyze your nursing practice for issues of particular interest or concern to you or your organization. Identify one issue as the focus of your application of theory to practice.
• Review the Week 2 Learning Resources to identify specific middle range theories that may apply to your practice issue.
• Choose at least two middle range theories that might be most relevant and valuable in addressing your practice issue.
• Search the Walden Library for scholarly articles that address application of middle range theories to practice issues.
• Consider how to frame your focus practice issue in terms of the middle-range theories that you have selected.
With these thoughts in mind …
This week, we jump RIGHT into how nursing theory and nursing practice align.
First: you are asked to identify and analyze a CLINICAL PRACTICE issue that is of particular interest or concern to you. ***Helpful Hint: Through this semester, you will be asked to address a CLINICAL PRACTICE ISSUE that is relevant in your clinical practice. It is helpful for you to take some time and identify a clinical practice issue that you are interested in (one that you may see in your practice) AND one that you may be considering for your DNP project that you can USE throughout the semester. Keep in mind that WALDEN UNIVERSITY offers three types of DNP projects:
• Staff Education
• Clinical Practice Guideline Change
• Quality Improvement Project
Again, it is VERY HELPFUL for you to identify a clinical practice issue that you can use throughout the semester. If you have questions about this, please feel free to email me!!!
Second: Once you have identified your clinical practice issue, you are asked to identify TWO NURSING THEORIES that may apply to your practice issue. Keep in mind that a theory is “a rigorous structuring of ideas that project a purposeful and systematic view of a phenomena”. Interestingly, we are exposed to theories every day and every discipline has theories. So, some common theories that you may be familiar with include:
Scientific Theory: The Theory of Gravity
Social Theory: Rational Choice Theory
Leadership Theory: Transformational Leadership Theory
Economic Theory: Theory of Supply and Demand
And — of course NURSING THEORY!!!!
As we learned this week, 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. The four major concepts that are frequently interrelated and fundamental to nursing theory are person, environment, health, and nursing. These four are collectively referred to as metaparadigm for nursing. Nursing theories are also classified into three types:
• Grand Nursing Theories: These theories are usually abstract and broad in scope and address the metaparadigm for nursing.
• Middle-range Theories: More limited in scope as they address a specific phenomenon in nursing.
• Practice-Level Theories: Situation-specific theories that are narrow in scope and focus on a specific patient population.
Third: After you have selected your clinical problem and your two middle-range nursing theories (if you select a grand theory or a practice-level theory, that is fine…) you are asked to search the Walden Library for scholarly articles that address application of nursing theories to clinical practice issues.
To format your posting: you may wish to use the following as a guide:
• Describe your clinical practice issue. (AGAIN – You may wish to select a clinical practice issue that is important to you and YOUR PRACTICE so that you can use throughout the entire semester and possibly develop into a DNP project.)
• Identify TWO middle range nursing theories that may apply to your practice problem.
• Identify your two articles using APA 7 formatting that link nursing theory to clinical practice.
• Apply YOUR THEORIES to your practice issue and describe how your issue may be viewed, understood, and/framed using the nursing theories that you selected.
• Concluding Thoughts about the relationship of nursing practice and nursing theory.
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