What Is Nursing Theory? Key Concepts and Practical Applications

Searching for what are nursing theories, you’ll likely examine three layers of theory framework plans. Grand theory ideas – these care plan theories are built on huge, abstract, and challenging theory concepts. They provide foundational theory principles about people and health. These ideas are frequently planned out based on the nursing theorists’ experiences.

Care theories at the middle level – these notions concentrate on specific subareas of nursing plans rather than overarching principles. They might be planned on the grounds of bigger theories in nursing care. Research or closely related sectors can also be a component of this nursing care planning kind.

Nursing care theories at the practice level – these planning ideas are even more focused, concentrating on themes particular to a certain patient demographic at a specific time. These care theory concepts have a stronger effect on patients than the other two, and care plans impact people directly.

Nursing Theory Definition and Use in Care Plan Development

Still googling, “What is a nursing care plan”?No need for it, as we have the answer and database with good nursing theory examples to help you understand writing requirements better. A nursing care plan entails effectively identifying current demands as well as recognizing new ones. Care planning is a process that entails accurately recognizing present needs and forecasting future needs or threats.

Nursing care planning specialists, other experts, and patients may communicate via care plans to improve health outcomes. If the care planning processes were not in place, the quality and consistency of patient treatment would suffer. The plan and delivery of individualized or patient-centered care is the bedrock of nursing practice excellence.

Two major types of treatment plans are non-official and official care outlines. From the standpoint of the nurse, a non-official treatment plan is a sketch-up of action. A written or digital document that organizes a client’s care is a standardized nursing treatment plan.

Regular care plans and customized treatment outlines are two main types. Treatment theory is specified in standardized care plans for groups of clients with comparable requirements. Individualized treatment plans are tailored to client-specific requirements, even those that aren’t met by conventional theory plans.

A care plan is necessary to ensure that people receive the appropriate degree of treatment over time and that care workers and others in medical environments are aware of specific needs. An excellent treatment plan can assist you in completing nursing report sheets and better understanding patient health, allowing healthcare professionals to facilitate independent patient living.

How to Write a Nursing Care Plan – Get to Know the Best Approach

Most commonly, nursing theory specialists single several steps in creating a proper nursing plan of care following base theory concepts. For a great plan, you first must do the following:

• Analyze the overall nursing care situation.
• Define the crucial questions you must answer.
• Determine the patient’s current condition.
• Establish why they seek medical attention.

Fill out the diagnoses section of the care plan template. The patient ailments are the subject of the planned diagnosis section. You’re attempting to address the following theory question, “What is the patient’s problem?” The data collected in this area aids nurses in determining various kinds of care patients receive.

Write the nursing care planning section. At this time, you must establish concrete, quantifiable, and realistic objectives for the patient’s treatment in the plan of care nursing. You must select what short-term and long-term objectives the patient’s treatment will follow.
Finish the implementation and interventions section. The interventions section focuses on assisting patients and caregivers in achieving desired results. Particular measures that nurses must perform are included in each patient’s record.

Assess the treatment plan and determine if it requires modification. Nurses must continue to assess their patients’ health and welfare. They must also continue to assess the efficacy of the nursing theory assistance they give. Each objective specified for patients is thoroughly considered in the assessment parts.

What Are Some Nursing Theory Examples?

It’s hard to understand how nursing theories are applied in educational and clinical practices without understanding the nursing theory definition. So, what is a definition of nursing theory? Experts define nursing theory as a conceptual framework that guides a nurse’s practice and clinical decisions with the help of a specific set of goals, values, and principles. Here are a couple of examples that illustrate what is a nursing theory:

1. Virginia Henderson’s Need Theory is an approach focusing on the patients’ independence in meeting their basic needs.
2. Self-Care Deficit Theory designed by Dorothea Orem prioritizes self-care and improvement or resumption of the patient’s ability to care for themselves.
3. Theory of Goal Attainment was offered by Imogene King to prioritize patient-nurse communication on the way to health outcome achievement.

Why Is Nursing Theory Important? It Is Foundational, No Matter What

Having discussed how to write a nursing care plan, let us consider why nursing theory is at the core of nursing practice. In reality, there are many hypotheses out there currently. Each was created using scientific facts and reliable data to construct theory frameworks and give numerous patient-care tactics and approaches. However, these theories cover a lot more ground than merely large theory concepts. Nursing theory contributes to the profession’s ability to carve out its niche in the medical field.
It might even be pointless to ask, “Why is nursing theory important?” Theory base concepts and obvious field influences are so foundational that it would be more useful looking into the “hows” of nursing theory rather than “whys.” Still, nobody canceled the sheer complexity of creating treatment plans. So, if you are having trouble writing one, consider using the help of our care planning experts.