NURS 600 Week 6 Study Guide: Middle-Range Nursing Theories 2026
|Maryville
1. Which of the following best describes middle-range nursing theories?
A. They bridge the gap between grand theories and nursing practice.
B. They are narrow in scope and limited to specific clinical tasks.
C. They are highly abstract and focus on the entire discipline of nursing.
D. They focus exclusively on the biological aspects of patient care.
Answer: A
Rationale: Middle-range theories are more specific than grand theories but more general
than practice theories, effectively bridging the gap between abstract concepts and clinical
application.
2. According to Pamela Reed’s Theory of Self-Transcendence, what is the
primary process for human development?
A. Self-transcendence
B. Economic stability
C. Physical isolation
D. Strict adherence to medical protocols
Answer: A
Rationale: Reed’s theory posits that self-transcendence—expanding one’s boundaries
inwardly, outwardly, and temporally—is a core process in maintaining well-being during
life transitions.
,3. In Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort, which dimension of comfort refers to a state
of calm or contentment?
A. Relief
B. Transcendence
C. Ease
D. Standardization
Answer: C
Rationale: Ease is the state of calm or contentment, while relief is the meeting of a specific
need, and transcendence is the state in which one rises above problems or pain.
4. Merle Mishel’s Theory of Uncertainty in Illness identifies which factor as a
primary antecedent of uncertainty?
A. The patient’s age
B. The symptom pattern
C. Financial status
D. Hospital architecture
Answer: B
Rationale: The stimuli frame, which includes symptom pattern, event familiarity, and
event congruence, is a critical antecedent that influences how a patient perceives
uncertainty.
5. The Theory of Chronic Sorrow was developed by Eakes, Burke, and
Hainsworth to describe:
A. Acute grief following the death of a spouse.
B. The permanent, recurring sadness in individuals with chronic conditions.
C. Temporary depression during the postpartum period.
D. Anxiety related to upcoming surgical procedures.
Answer: B
, Rationale: Chronic sorrow is defined as a pervasive, recurring grief that does not have a
predictable end, often experienced by people with chronic illnesses or their caregivers.
6. Which component of Meleis’s Transitions Theory refers to the feelings of
confusion and disorientation during a transition?
A. Preparation
B. Meaning
C. Critical points
D. Disconnection
Answer: D
Rationale: Disconnection and disorientation are common properties of the transition
experience as described in Meleis’s framework.
7. In Cheryl Beck’s Postpartum Depression Theory, what is the ‘Loss of Control’
concept?
A. The physical inability to move after delivery.
B. The cognitive realization that the mother can no longer care for herself.
C. The central theme describing the experience of postpartum depression.
D. The loss of control over financial resources.
Answer: C
Rationale: Beck identified ‘Loss of Control’ as the basic social psychological process and
the core experience for women suffering from postpartum depression.
8. Nola Pender’s Health Promotion Model primarily focuses on:
A. Curing infectious diseases.
B. Encouraging behaviors that increase well-being and actualize health potential.
C. Restoring health after a chronic illness diagnosis.
D. Palliative care for end-of-life patients.
Answer: B
|Maryville
1. Which of the following best describes middle-range nursing theories?
A. They bridge the gap between grand theories and nursing practice.
B. They are narrow in scope and limited to specific clinical tasks.
C. They are highly abstract and focus on the entire discipline of nursing.
D. They focus exclusively on the biological aspects of patient care.
Answer: A
Rationale: Middle-range theories are more specific than grand theories but more general
than practice theories, effectively bridging the gap between abstract concepts and clinical
application.
2. According to Pamela Reed’s Theory of Self-Transcendence, what is the
primary process for human development?
A. Self-transcendence
B. Economic stability
C. Physical isolation
D. Strict adherence to medical protocols
Answer: A
Rationale: Reed’s theory posits that self-transcendence—expanding one’s boundaries
inwardly, outwardly, and temporally—is a core process in maintaining well-being during
life transitions.
,3. In Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort, which dimension of comfort refers to a state
of calm or contentment?
A. Relief
B. Transcendence
C. Ease
D. Standardization
Answer: C
Rationale: Ease is the state of calm or contentment, while relief is the meeting of a specific
need, and transcendence is the state in which one rises above problems or pain.
4. Merle Mishel’s Theory of Uncertainty in Illness identifies which factor as a
primary antecedent of uncertainty?
A. The patient’s age
B. The symptom pattern
C. Financial status
D. Hospital architecture
Answer: B
Rationale: The stimuli frame, which includes symptom pattern, event familiarity, and
event congruence, is a critical antecedent that influences how a patient perceives
uncertainty.
5. The Theory of Chronic Sorrow was developed by Eakes, Burke, and
Hainsworth to describe:
A. Acute grief following the death of a spouse.
B. The permanent, recurring sadness in individuals with chronic conditions.
C. Temporary depression during the postpartum period.
D. Anxiety related to upcoming surgical procedures.
Answer: B
, Rationale: Chronic sorrow is defined as a pervasive, recurring grief that does not have a
predictable end, often experienced by people with chronic illnesses or their caregivers.
6. Which component of Meleis’s Transitions Theory refers to the feelings of
confusion and disorientation during a transition?
A. Preparation
B. Meaning
C. Critical points
D. Disconnection
Answer: D
Rationale: Disconnection and disorientation are common properties of the transition
experience as described in Meleis’s framework.
7. In Cheryl Beck’s Postpartum Depression Theory, what is the ‘Loss of Control’
concept?
A. The physical inability to move after delivery.
B. The cognitive realization that the mother can no longer care for herself.
C. The central theme describing the experience of postpartum depression.
D. The loss of control over financial resources.
Answer: C
Rationale: Beck identified ‘Loss of Control’ as the basic social psychological process and
the core experience for women suffering from postpartum depression.
8. Nola Pender’s Health Promotion Model primarily focuses on:
A. Curing infectious diseases.
B. Encouraging behaviors that increase well-being and actualize health potential.
C. Restoring health after a chronic illness diagnosis.
D. Palliative care for end-of-life patients.
Answer: B
