Categories of Nursing

Theories
Joel Rey U. Acob
joel.acob@vsu.edu.ph
0917-304-5312
Types of nursing theories
Grand theories- complex, broad scope
that present general concepts and
propositions. Theories at this level may
both reflect and provide insights useful
for practice but are not designed for
empirical testing.
Types of nursing theories
Mid range theory- address specific
phenomena and reflect practice.

Descriptive theories- first level of theory

development

Prescriptive theory- address nursing

interventions and predict their
consequences
Non-nursing theories
 Characteristics of systems theory
Boundaries
 separate system from its environment

Four types:
i. Physical boundary- prevents access( security
system)
ii. Linguistic boundary (language)
iii. Systemic boundary (rules that regulate interaction)
iv. Psychological boundary
Characteristics of systems theory
Goal-directedness
- systems are goal-oriented and engage in
feedback in order to meet the goals of the
organization
Characteristics of systems theory
Holistic view
 Focuses on arrangement of and relation
between the parts that connect them into a
whole
 The mutual interaction of the parts makes
the whole bigger than the parts
themselves.
Principles of systems theory
A system is greater than the sum of is
parts
A system and its environment is highly
interrelated
The greater the degree of wholeness in
the system, the more efficient the system
The effectiveness of the system depends
on the optimization of the system
Principles of systems theory
Application of system theory can guide
decision makers in understanding,
modifying and controlling the
organization actions.
Change theory
• Florence Nightingale
•Virginia Henderson
•Faye Abdella
Credentials and background
Founder of modern nursing
Born on May 12, 1820 (Florence , Italy)
Lady with the lamp
Known to be the “lady with a lamp”
Environmental theory
Died on August 13, 1910 at 90.
 Theoretical sources for Theory
Development
●
Personal
●
Beliefs,
connections, social
dedication for
status and her
service and values
family influence

Personal Societal

Religious Professional

●
Unitarian belief that
actions for the benefit ●
Educational
of others is a prime training
way of serving God
 Major concepts of FN theory
Focused on environment and defined concepts on
Ventilation “ keep the air he breathes as pure as the external air, without
chilling him”

Warmth Measuring the patient’s body temperature through palpation

of extremities to check for heat loss

Light Direct sunlight as particular need of patients. She instructed

her nurses to move and position patients to expose them to
sunlight

Diet To notice not just the dietary intake, but also the meal
schedule and its effects to patient

Cleanliness Even if the environment is well-ventilated, the presence of

organic material created a dirty area; therefore, appropriate
handling and disposal of bodily excretions and sewage were
required to prevent contamination.
 Assumptions of F. Nightingale
Nursing
Every woman, at one time in her life would be a
nurse in the sense that nursing is being responsible
for someone else’s health

Health
Defined health as being well and using every
power (resource) to the fullest extent in living life

Environment
Emphasized that nursing is to assist
nature in healing the patient”
Credentials and background
A native of Kansas City, and later moved to
Washington DC because her father is a
practicing lawyer.
She joined Army Nursing, Street visiting
nurse and Began teaching in protestant
Hospital in Virginia when she was 22.
Earned her BS and MA in nursing education
at 27.
A researcher, clinician and died in March
1996 at 98 years old.
Major concepts: NURSING
The unique function of a nurse is to assist
the individual, sick or well in the
performance of those activities
contributing to health or its recovery or to
peaceful death that he would perform
unaided if he had the necessary strength,
will or knowledge.
Major concepts: HEALTH
Henderson viewed it in terms of the
patient’s ability to perform the 14
components of nursing care unaided.
The quality of health rather than life
itself, that margin of mental/physical
vigor that allows person to work most
effectively and to reach his highest
potential level of satisfaction in life.
Major concepts: ENVIRONMENT
The aggregate of all the external
conditions and influences affecting life
and development of an organism
Major concepts: PERSON (patient)
An individual who requires assistance to
achieve health and independence or
peaceful death.
The mind and body are inseparable
The patient and his/her family are viewed
as a unit.
Theoretical assertions:

The Nurse-Patient relationship

The nurse as a substitute for
the patient
The nurse as a helper to the
patient
The nurse as a partner with
the patient
 Theoretical assertions:

The Nurse-Physician relationship

The care plan, formulated by
both the nurse and the patient,
must be implemented to promote
physician’s prescribed
therapeutic plan.

The nurse questions a

philosophy that allows physician
to give orders to patients
Theoretical assertions:
The Nurse as member of the Healthcare team

Nurse should work in interdependence

with other healthcare professionals, help
each other to carryout total program of
care, but should not do each other’s job.

“No one of the team should make such

heavy demands on another member”
 Credentials
Born on March 13, 1919 NY
Earned nursing diploma at Fitkin Memorial
Hospital Sch of Nursing, New Jersey
Received BS degree (1945), MS (1947),
and Doctor of Education at Teacher’s
College, Columbia University
In 1947, she also took MA in Physiology.
Theoretical sources
In 1950, the nursing practice and
education were facing major problems
resulting from technological advancement
and social change.
The lack of scientific knowledge unique
to nursing became one great barrier to
nursing
Major concepts: NURSING
She defined it as “service to individuals
and families; therefore to society.

It is based on art and science that molds

attitude, intellectual competencies,
technical skills of the nurse into the desire
and ability to help the sick or well cope
with their health needs.
Major concepts: NURSING PROBLEMS
The problem is a condition faced by
patient or the family which the nurse can
assist through the performance of his/her
professional function

The problem could either be covert

(emotional and social needs) or overt
(physical needs)
Major concepts: PROBLEM SOLVING
The nurse must be able to solve problems
to give the best professional nursing care.
Identifying Selecting
problem data

Formulatin
g

Revising
Testing hypothesis
Assumptions: PERSON
Described people as having physical,
emotional and sociological needs.
The patient being the only justification for
nursing existence.
Assumptions: HEALTH
The state that is mutually exclusive of
illness
The state when the individual has no
unmet needs and no anticipated or actual
impairment
Puts emphasis on health status as
important part of the illness-wellness
continuum.
Assumptions: ENVIRONMENT
The patient interact with and respond to
their environment and the nurse is part of
that environment.

Thehome and community that the patient

comes from is also the environment.