PURPOSE OF A

NURSING THEORY

ZCMIRAFLORES,RN,MN
 It provide a foundational knowledge
of care concepts that enable those in
the profession to explain what they
do for patients and the reasons for
their actions.

This is particularly important because it

helps nurses articulate evidence that
justifies the methodologies behind their
practice.
The general purpose of theory
development primarily to

****ensure adequate
and quality nursing
delivery and to improve
the status of the nursing
as a profession.
Nursing theories are
developed :

****to improve the

quality of care rendered
by nurses to their clients.
 Nursing Theory Development

Education
- provide general focus for
curriculum design
-guide in curriculum decision
making
-used to develop and guide nursing
education in universities and
Institution.
Research
- offer a framework for generating
knowledge and new ideas.
-assist in discovering knowledge
gap in specific field of study
-offer a systematic approach to
identify questions for study, select
variables, interpret findings and
validate nursing interventions.
Clinical Practice
– assist nurses to describe, explain, predict
every day experiences.
-guide in critical thinking and decision
making in clinical nursing practice.
-serves to guide assessment, interventions
and evaluation of nursing care.
-provide a rationale for collecting reliable
and valid data about Health status of the
client.
-help to establish criteria to measure the
quality of nursing care.
-enhance autonomy of nursing by
defining its own independent function.
Nursing as an Integration of
science and art
Nursing as an ART
relies on
knowledge gained
from practice and
reflection of past
experiences.
As a SCIENCE, it is
based on scientifically
tested knowledge that
is applied in the
practice setting.
Four Ways of Knowing
Developed by Barbara Carper
(1978)

identified four fundamental
patterns of knowing that form
the conceptual and syntactical
structure
of nursing knowledge.
1. Empirical knowing (science of Nurisng)
– a knowledge results from experimental , historical, research and is used
to justify actions and procedures in practice.

-is evaluated through systematic review and critique published research

and conference presentation.

-is the principal form of relating factual and descriptive knowing aimed
at the expansion of abstract and theoretical explanation (scientific method)

-the relationship of empirical knowing in nursing is the

science of nursing.

ex: research
investigation
2. Ethics
– requires knowledge of different philosophical
positions regarding what is good and right in
making moral actions and decisions particularly in
theoretical and clinical components of nursing.
(morality)
-ethical knowledge requires rational and deliberate
examination and evaluation of what is good,
valuable,and desirable as goals, motives or characteristics
ex: morality
abortion
3. Personal
– encompasses knowledge of the self in
relation to others and to self.

-incorporates experiences, knowing,

encountering and actualizing the self within
the practice
ex: identity
perception
4. Aesthetics (Knowing the
art of Nursing)

-relates in understanding what is significant to

particular patients such as feeling, attitude, points of
view.

-it is an evident through actions, conduct, attitudes

and interactions of the nurse in response to
another.
ex: understanding
empathy
 Nursing
Metaparadigm
NURSING PARADIGMS
– are patterns or models used to show a clear
relationship among the existing theoretical
works in nursing.

Metaparadigms – in Greek,
meta means “with”
paradigms “ pattern”
PERSON
- refers to a being composed of physical, intellectual,
biochemical and psychosocial needs, a human energy
field, holistic being in the world, an open system, an
integrated whole, an adaptive system and a being who
is greater than the sum of his part.

-they are conceptualizing the person or recipient of

nursing care like individuals, families and
communities as a focus, most nursing models
organize data about individual person as the focus of
nurse’s attention.
ENVIRONMENT
– typically refers to external elements that
affect the person; internal and external
conditions that influence the organism;
significant others withwhom the person
interacts and an open system with
boundaries that permit the exchange of
matter, energy and information with human
beings
 -conceptualize as the immediate
surroundings or circumstances of
the individual.

-an internal and external aspects of

life that influence the person.
HEALTH
– is the ability to function independently; successful
adaptation to life’s stressors, achievement of one’
full life potential and unity of mind, body and soul.

-the holistic level of wellness that the person

experiences.
NURSING
- is a science, art and practice discipline and
involves caring.

The goal of nursing includes care of the well, care of the sick,
assisting with self-care activities, helping individuals attain
their human potential and discovering and using nature’s laws
of health.

-the interventions of the nurse rendering support of,

or in cooperation with the client.