Utilization Of Nursing Theory

In the Journal of Advanced Nursing article, Whither Nursing Models? The value of nursing theory in the context of evidence-based practice and multidisciplinary health care, author Niall McCrae (2011) discussed key points related to the utilization of nursing models in modern-day clinical practice. With so many advances made since Nightingale times, some argue that evidence-based research and practice should trump the ideas of theorists before them. McCrae cited sources that illustrate a volley of opinions on the topic: are nursing theories essential or are they matters of the past? Upon evaluation of this article, it is evident to the reader that, although they can seem outdated, nursing theories cannot completely be removed from practice as

The field of nursing has pursued to gain recognition as a profession as opposed to a vocation for decades and has made great headway since its humble beginning.Since Hildegard Peplau’s first recognized theory of nursing, nurses everywhere have worked to apply it in practice in order to gain validity as professionals. To add to that concept, McCrae (2011) wrote, “The legitimacy of any profession is built on its ability to generate and apply theory” (p. 222). Martha Raile Alligood (2014) dedicated a section in her text, Nursing theorists and their work defending this principle. Alligood said, “Nursing theoretical works represent the most comprehensive presentation of systematic nursing knowledge;therefore, nursing theoretical works are vital to the future of both the discipline and the profession of nursing” (p. 2). It is evident that some professionals have sought out ways to reduce nursing theories and make them a thing of the past, but they are still highly regarded in professional healthcare. As noted by McCrae, “The Magnet Recognition Program (American Nurses Credentialing Center 2008) is an international accreditation of excellence in nursing, and a key requirement for organizations is to describe and implement a professional practice model” (p. 223). It is an aspiration of all hospitals to achieve Magnet recognition because of their nurses; this very achievement cannot be made without the hospital’s implementation of a professional nursing

He wrote, “Regarding scientific evidence as the sole basis of knowledge is intellectually sterile, and of dubious validity. The real value of nursing can only be represented by a broad theoretical framework that includes both tested procedures and the humane caring role, and which is operationalized not primarily for research, but for utility” (p. 225). Nursing theory manages to encompass more than just the quantitative aspects of health care but also the qualitative aspects of patient care. While nursing is a science and should be respected as such, there is an emotional aspect that proves to be immeasurable, but is also what sets it apart from other disciplines. Nonetheless, just because emotions are not exactly measurable does not mean they should be disqualified. Nurses have a warm reputation within the community as caregivers and that is an integral part of the