Nursing Theories and nursing Practice second edition

This book offersthe perspective that nursing theory is essentially connected with nursing practice, research, education, and development. Nursing theories, regardless of complexity or abstraction, reflect nursing and are used by nurses to frame their thinking, action, and being in the world. As guides for nursing endeavors, nursing theories are practical in nature and facilitate communication with those being nursed as well as with colleagues, students, and persons practicing in related health and illness services. At the same time, all aspects of nursing are essential for developing and evolving nursing theory. It is hoped that these pages make clear the interrelations of nursing theory and various nursing endeavors and that the discipline and practice of nursing will thus be advanced. This very special book isintended to honor the work of nursing theorists and nurses who use these theories in their day-to-day nursing care, by reflecting and presenting the unique contributions of eminent nursing thinkers and doers of our lifetimes. Our foremost nursing theorists have written for this book or their work has been described by nurses who have thorough knowledge of the theorist’s work and who have a deep respect for the theorist as person, nurse, and scholar. Indeed, to the extent possible, contributing authors have been selected by theorists to write about their theoretical work. The pattern for each chapter was developed by each author or team of authors according to their individual thinking and writing styles, as well as the scientific perspectives of the chapter. This freedom of format has helped to encourage the latest and best thinking of contributing authors;several authors have shared the insight thatin preparing a chapter for this book, their work has become more full and complete. This book is intended to assist nursing students in undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral nursing programs to explore and appreciate nursing theories and their use in nursing practice and scholarship. In addition and in response to calls from practicing nurses, this book is intended for use by those who desire to enrich their practice by the study of nursing theories and related illustrations of nursing practice and scholarship. The first section of the book provides an overview of nursing theory and a focus for thinking about evaluating and choosing nursing theory for use in nursing practice. An outline at the beginning of each chapter provides a map for the chapter. Selected points are highlighted in each chapter. An instructor’s manual has been prepared for this book; it reflects the experiences of many who have both met the challenges and who have had such a good time teaching and learning nursing theory in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. The design of this book highlights work of nurses who were thinking and writing about nursing up to 50 years ago or more. Building then, as now, on the writings of Florence Nightingale, these nurse scholars have provided essential influences for the evolution of nursing theory. These influences can be seen in the theory presentations in the section of the book that includes the nursing theories that are most in use today. The last section of this book features theorists who initially developed nursing theories at the middle range, a conceptual model for nursing practice in community, and an emerging theory of technology in nursing. These contributing authors describe development processes and perspectives on their work, giving us a variety of views for the future as we move into the twenty-first century. Each chapter of the book includes both descriptions of a particular theory and the use of the theory in nursing practice,research, education, and administration.