MSN 602 ADVANCED THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF NURSING PRACTICE AND RESEARCH

Module 2 Discussion, Nursing Conceptual Models and Borrowed Theories, MSN 602

Nursing Conceptual Models and Borrowed Theories

Choose one of the conceptual models in your assigned reading in your Alligood text and answer the following questions: a. Name of the conceptual model; b. Core concepts of the model; c. Describe a nursing situation in which the model could be applied; and d. Describe how you would apply your chosen model to the nursing situation to facilitate a process improvement.

Choose a borrowed theory from either your Polit and Beck text or the llterature which could be applied to a nursing research article. Answer the following items: a. Name the theory and the non-nursing discipline from which it comes; b. Identify 3-4 of the core concepts of the theory; and c. Explain why this theory might be a good fit from which to develop a nursing research study.

Your assigned readings this week introduces you to the ways of knowing in nursing written by Barbara Carper. This is a seminal work in nursing. Answer the following items: a. List the 4 patterns of knowing according to Barbara Carper; b. Provide an example from your practice for each of the 4 patterns; and c. What are your thoughts about the pertinence of these patterns in nursing today?

There are multiple learning theories as you read in the Zhou & Brown chapter. Answer the following items: a. Choose and identify the name of one of the learning theories from the assigned reading of Zhou & Brown and b. Develop a step-by-step program to decrease the frequency of medical mistakes in a healthcare practice setting. Cite the principles or key concepts from your chosen learning theory that back each step of the program you develop.Nursing Conceptual Models and Borrowed Theories, MSN 602.

 

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Nursing Conceptual Models and Borrowed Theories

Introduction

Conceptual models are the best way to understand nursing theory. They can be used to help students and practitioners understand how different theoretical frameworks relate, as well as how diverse clinical situations are best understood within a broader conceptual framework. In this section, we explore several different conceptual models for nurses: system theory, interpersonal relationships theory, community as spouse model, health as expanding consciousness model (HAC), adaptation model (AM), and their collective effect on practice.

Conceptual models.

Conceptual models are a useful tool for conceptualizing and describing the nursing process, caring and interpersonal relationships. These models help nurses to understand how their roles in patient care relate to one another.

Although many conceptual models exist for nursing practice, there are four main categories: theory of the nursing process (Nursing Process Theory), theory of caring (Caring Theory), human caring theories (Theory of Human Caring) and interpersonal relationship theories (Interpersonal Relationship Theory).

Systems theory.

Systems theory is a broad field that examines how systems operate and evolve. A system is a set of interacting or interdependent entities, each of which has its own properties and relationships with other elements in the system. The whole (or overall) is greater than the sum of its parts; therefore, the whole must be more than just an aggregate of individual units.

The basic unit of analysis within systems theory is not an individual but rather something called an entity given by these five characteristics:

• It exists independently from other entities in your environment; for example, you can count on your computer to do what it’s supposed to do without having any way to know exactly how it works internally.

• Your understanding about this entity comes from observing things around you rather than through direct observation (such as seeing inside it).

• You can think about yourself as being part of this entity because there are some similarities between us humans who live on earth today compared with other types of living things such as plants or animals (and even plants). For example: we both need food while breathing air around our bodies every day! This suggests that humans share some common characteristics regardless whether they’re alive today versus extinct thousands years ago!”

Interpersonal relationships theory.

The interpersonal relationships theory is a nursing conceptual model that focuses on the interaction between the nurse and patient. This theory of interpersonal relationships can be used to explain how nurses interact with patients, as well as their goals, beliefs and values. Interpersonal relationship theories are also related to social system theories: they help us understand how we form relationships with other people in our lives and why those relationships may be important or not so important for us (see the social systems section).

The interpersonal relationship theory has been developed over many years by researchers interested in understanding how nurses can best care for their patients. It includes several concepts:

• Person-centered care – focusing on meeting each person’s needs rather than just treating them like objects; it means giving unconditional love instead of using force when dealing with others who are ill or injured; it also means seeing all aspects of life through someone else’s eyes rather than just their own perspective

Community as spouse model.

• The theory of community care. The community as spouse model is based on the concept of family, in particular its meaning and function, which includes both biological relationships and social networks. This model suggests that nurses have a responsibility to provide care for their patients’ families, which includes but is not limited to parents or spouses (or other significant others) within that patient’s social network.

• Community as spouse: A person can be considered a family member when they are connected through mutual ties such as marriage or blood relations; however this may not necessarily be true if there is no close connection between them (e.g., cousins).

Health as expanding consciousness model.

The Health as Expanding Consciousness model is a way of understanding how we can change our health. It’s based on the idea that health is a process of expanding consciousness, which means you can improve your well-being through increasing your awareness and insight into how you think, feel and act.

The HEC model can be applied to individuals, groups and communities in order to help them understand themselves better so they can make positive changes in their lives.

Adaptation model.

The adaptation model is based on the idea that people are able to adapt to their environment. This means that if a person has an illness or injury, they can learn how to cope with it and live with it as best as possible.

The adaptation model focuses on how individuals adapt to the environment by using their knowledge of the world around them in order to make sense of their experiences and make decisions about what actions will be most helpful for them in order for them to live comfortably without worrying about becoming sick again soon after recovering from another illness or injury.

Takeaway:

Theories are a set of concepts, facts and propositions that explain a phenomenon or a set of phenomena. They provide a framework for interpreting data, making predictions about future events, describing existing conditions and predicting their effects on individuals or groups.

Theory may be:

• An explanatory model that describes the cause-and-effect relationships between variables in order to understand how things happen in nature; for example Newtonian physics describes how objects move under gravity’s pull as well as why they do so (e.g., an apple falling from tree will always reach ground because it follows an inverse-square law).

• A collection of knowledge about important issues in society such as climate change; some writers argue for its importance while others question whether we should take action based on this theory alone since there’s little evidence supporting it yet.”

Conclusion

As you can see, there is a long tradition of conceptual models in nursing. These models are often rooted in scientific theory or developed by researchers. The ideas are usually presented as a framework for understanding health and illness. They can guide nurses in providing care for patients but they also have practical applications beyond just nursing practice. For example, we have seen how concepts like “community as spouse” can be used to improve communication between patients’ families and healthcare providers. This article has outlined some important theoretical frameworks that shape our practice today – such as systems theory and sociological theories relating health behaviors to community norms – while also highlighting some newer ones related specifically to nursing research (e.g., adaptation model). We hope these examples help you think about how concepts relate not only within different disciplines (biology/physics), but also across disciplines (social sciences).