Nursing Theories: Personal Experience, Pros and Cons
Theories in nursing are fundamental frameworks that direct nurses in their practice, help with decision-making, guidance in actions, and interactions with patients. They help in understanding the principles behind nursing care. They can be used to predict patient outcomes, and they can also explain patient behaviors and the appropriate nursing interventions (Mudd et al., 2020).
Application of Nursing Theory in Practice
A practical example of using a nursing theory to direct care can be drawn from Virginia Hendersons Need Theory. This theory emphasizes the importance of patient independence so that they may recover more quickly (Larsen et al., 2022). In my practice, I applied Hendersons theory to the care of a post-operative patient who required assistance with basic needs due to limited mobility. We focused on the 14 basic needs outlined by Henderson, such as breathing,...
I developed a
care plan that involved teaching the patient to perform these tasks independently with the use of assistive devices.
Using Theories from Other Fields: Maslows Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is also applicable in nursing. This theory proposes that basic needs must be met before an individual can focus on higher-level needs. I used Maslows hierarchy to prioritize care for a...
…to the needs and preferences of all patients. This would be an oversight that could also undermine patient care.
Conclusion
Overall, it is clear that the use of theories in nursing is invaluable for providing high-quality, evidence-based care, and it offers principles that nurses can apply in every day practice. But although nursing theories are specifically designed to guide nursing practice, there are theories from other fields like psychology that can also be applied. Also, there may be challenges to applying all theories, but there are benefits of using many other theoretical frameworks. These benefits can usually outweigh the disadvantages, and can be useful in creating a comprehensive…
