Describe the theoretical foundations of nursing and how they relate to current practices. What exposure have you had to nursing theory? What experience do you have applying theory in practice? What do you hope to get out of this class?

Theoretical Foundations of Nursing

Describe the theoretical foundations of nursing and how they relate to current practices. This reflection is comprised of 2 SECTIONS. Reflect on the following. Complete your reflection by responding to all prompts.

Theoretical Foundations
Theories are made up of ideas attempting to structure thinking around a specific happening. Your readings for this competency introduce the ideas of phenomena, concepts, propositions, and assumptions. This reflection is designed to help you think about those four aspects and explain the connections between each to help strengthen your understanding of the foundations and working parts of theory.

Using your experience in nursing practice, think about how each of the following terms applies to you:
• Phenomena
• Concept
• Preposition
• Assumptions
• Implicit bias
• Explicit bias

For example, falls in clinical practice are highly correlated with patients who have dementia. This is the phenomenon. The concepts related to the phenomenon are “risk and safety.” The assumption is that patients with dementia have a risk of safety.

Another example is the phenomena of death and dying by Dr. Elizabeth Kübler-Ross. Dr. Kübler-Ross identified the concept of death and dying and formalized 5 stages from the phenomena she observed when interviewing patients and family members.

Now that you have reviewed the examples, identify a nursing theory and describe how it is applied in your current clinical practice.

Ways of Knowing and Nursing Profession.
Barbara Carper’s influence on nursing practice is significant. As all theorists do, she has a perspective through which she views nursing care and practice.

Reflect on how Barbara Carper views the following patterns of knowledge:
• Empirical knowledge (the science)
• Esthetic knowledge (the art)
• Ethical knowing (what constitutes good actions for that patient)
• Personal knowing (nurse‒patient relationship)

Determine how the use of Carper’s Ways of Knowing are applied in your place of practice. Cite a practice scenario in which you could or do apply the theory to patient care.

Reflection
Reflecting on self-experience, either by working in the health care field or as a patient, answer the following questions:
• What exposure have you had to nursing theory?
• What experience do you have applying theory in practice?
• What do you hope to get out of this class?