APA style is used for professional writing in nursing and health care. As a professional, it is important to be able to clearly communicate your research or professional writing in an accurately formatted paper using the most current APA style. The purpose of this assignment is to write a 500-750 word paper focusing on the proper application of APA style.
Refer to the resources in the Class Resources and Student Success Center for assistance with APA. Use the APA Style Guide resource, located in the Student Success Center, to complete this assignment.
Include the following in your paper:
- Describe the purpose of applying nursing theory to patient care.
- Explain why nursing theory is meaningful to current practice.
- Explain how a nursing theory can be applied before planning and providing care in current practice.
- Discuss which theory best reflects your personal view of the essence of nursing and how it has been helpful to you for planning and providing care to your patients.
You are required to cite a minimum of three sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria and nursing content.
Complete the “APA Writing Checklist” to ensure that your paper adheres to APA style and formatting criteria and general guidelines for academic writing. Include the completed checklist as an appendix at the end of your paper.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
Nursing Theory Essay Example
Introduction
A nursing theory is a set of concepts, definitions, and assumptions explaining nursing practice’s nature and scope (Younas & Quennell, 2019). It provides a framework for understanding nursing phenomena, identifying nursing care goals, and developing effective interventions for the patient’s unique needs. This paper will explore the purpose of applying nursing theory to patient care, its the meaningfulness to nursing practice, its application in planning and providing care and finally, one example of a nursing theory that shows the essence of nursing.
Purpose of Applying Nursing Theory to Patient Care
The purpose of applying nursing theory to patient care is to improve patient outcomes and the quality of nursing care. Nursing theory provides a basis for understanding the patient’s health status, identifying the underlying causes of their health problems, and developing an appropriate and effective plan of care. Nurses can use nursing theories to provide holistic care, considering the patient in all aspects of life. It enables nurses to communicate effectively with other healthcare professionals, promote evidence-based practice, and enhance the professional status of nursing (Younas & Quennell, 2019).
Meaningfulness of Nursing Theory to Current Practice
Nursing theory is meaningful to current practice for several reasons. First, it provides a common language and framework that helps nurses to communicate and collaborate effectively with other healthcare professionals. Second, it guides nurses in their decision-making and critical thinking, allowing them to come up with personalized care plans that meet each patient’s unique needs (Kitson, 2018). Third, nursing theory promotes evidence-based practice, ensuring nurses use the most up-to-date and effective interventions. Finally, nursing theory enhances the professional status of nursing by providing a scientific basis for the discipline, demonstrating the importance of nursing as a profession, and providing a foundation for research and education.
Application of Nursing Theory in Planning and Providing Care
Before planning and providing care, nurses can apply nursing theory in several ways. First, they can use nursing theories to assess the patient’s health status, identify the underlying causes of their health problems, and develop a nursing diagnosis. Second, they can use nursing theories to develop an individualized care plan considering the patient’s needs, preferences, and circumstances. Third, they can use nursing theories to guide their interventions, selecting evidence-based interventions appropriate for the patient’s condition and aligned with the goals of nursing care (Kitson, 2018). Finally, nurses can use nursing theories to evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions, identify areas for improvement, and modify their care plan as needed.
Nursing Theory and how it is Helpful in Planning and Providing Care
One nursing theory that best reflects the essence of nursing is the Theory of Human Caring, developed by Jean Watson. It focuses on the essence humanistic and holistic care, emphasizing the nurse’s role as a caregiver and healer. According to this theory, the nurse should strive to provide respectful, compassionate, and authentic care, considering the patient’s physical and psychosocial needs (Najeh Alharbi & Ghazi Baker, 2020). The theory also emphasizes the importance of the therapeutic relationship between the nurse and the client, creating an environment of trust and respect that promotes healing.
The Theory of Human Caring has been helpful in planning and providing care to patients by providing a framework for holistic, patient-centred care. By focusing on the patient’s unique needs and experiences, nurses can develop care plans that are individualized and tailored to the patient’s preferences and circumstances (Najeh Alharbi & Ghazi Baker, 2020). This approach has been shown to improve patient satisfaction, reduce hospital readmissions, and enhance the quality of nursing care.
Conclusion
Therefore, nursing theory is an vital component of nursing practice, providing a frame for comprehending the essence and scope of nursing practice. Applying nursing theory to patient care is crucial to improving patient outcomes and the quality of nursing care. By using nursing theories, nurses can provide holistic care, develop individualized care plans, and evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions (Kitson, 2018). One nursing theory that best reflects the essence of nursing is the Theory of Human Caring, which emphasizes the importance of humanistic and holistic care and promotes the therapeutic relationship between the nurse and the patient (Najeh Alharbi & Ghazi Baker, 2020).
References
Kitson, A. L. (2018). The Fundamentals of Care Framework as a Point-of-Care Nursing Theory. Nursing Research, 67(2), 99–107. https://doi.org/10.1097/nnr.0000000000000271
Najeh Alharbi, Ms. K., & Ghazi Baker, Dr. O. (2020). Jean Watson’s Middle Range Theory of Human Caring: A Critique. International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Scientific Research, 3(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.31426/ijamsr.2020.3.1.3011
Younas, A., & Quennell, S. (2019). Usefulness of nursing theory-guided practice: an integrative review. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 33(3), 540–555. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.12670
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