PRELIM COVERAGE

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION OF NURSING THEORY

This chapter comprises of the basic concepts and terms that will be widely used in the
succeeding chapters and lessons. It will enable the learners to better understand the subject
matter.

Duration: 3.0 hours

MAJOR TOPICS SUBTOPICS

1. Theory
2. Nursing Theory
Definition of terms
3. Philosophy
4. Conceptual Models
5. Science
6. Knowledge
7. Phenomenon

Nursing Paradigms • Person

• Health
• Environment
• Nursing

Concepts Types:
• Empirical/Concrete
• Abstract
Defining:
• Theoretical Definition
• Operational Def’n
Typologies:
• Discrete
• Continuous Concepts

Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Define nursing theory and its implication to nursing practice

2. Provide examples and scenario where the nursing paradigm is applicable
3. Identify and discuss the nursing paradigms
4. Differentiate between philosophy, science, knowledge, phenomenon and concepts in nursing
profession

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Key Terms:

• Theory 3. NURSING THEORY

• Paradigms Ø It is a body of knowledge that is used to
• Person support nursing practice.
• Health Ø This is derived from experiential learning,
• Environment from formal sources such as researches
• Nursing or from non-nursing sources meaning
• Philosophy from other theories
• Concepts Ø Derived from nursing philosophies,
• Science conceptual models or more abstract
• Knowledge nursing theories or from works of other
• Phenomenon
disciplines
Ø Conceptualization of some aspects of
nursing for the purpose of describing,
Let’s Begin!
explaining, predicting, nursing care

1. THEORY 4. NURSING METAPARADIGMS

Ø “meta” Greek Word àwith &
Ø This term came from ancient Greek word “paradigm”à pattern= (with pattern)
“ THEORIA” , meaning looking at,
Ø These are patterns used to show
viewing, beholding
Ø It is a creative and rigorous structuring of relationship among existing theoretical
ideas that project a tentative, purposeful works in nursing
and systematic view of phenomena in Ø It is the core content of nursing discipline
which proposed explanation of a Ø It places a boundary on the subject
phenomena made in a way consistent matter of the discipline (focus of nursing
with the scientific method theory)
Ø Characteristics of Theory:
1. CREATIVE- underscores the role of
• The Four Nursing Metaparadigm
human imagination and vision in
theory development 1. Person
2. TENTATIVE-open to revision as new - It is the term used for HUMAN BEING
evidences emerge - Considered the recipient/s of nursing
3. PURPOSEFUL-suggests a direction in care in the form of: individual, family
how to view facts and events or community
4. SYSTEMATIC-step by step process - The focus of nursing practice
2. Health
2. PHENOMENA - Health is a state of complete physical,
Ø A phenomena is something that which mental and social well-being and not
strikes one as strange, unusual, or merely the absence of disease or
unaccountable; an extraordinary or very infirmity (WHO)
remarkable person, thing, or occurrence - Has different meanings for each
Ø It is an aspect of reality that people client, the clinical setting, and the
consciously sense or experienc health care profession
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 - It isdynamic and continuously fundamental questions about knowledge,
changing. Your challenge is to life, morality and human nature
provide the best possible care based Ø It specifies the definition of paradigm
on the client's level of health and concepts in each conceptual models of
health care needs at the time of care nursing
delivery Ø It provides a broad understanding and
3. Environment direction
- It represents the persons immediate
physical surroundings, the 6. CONCEPTUAL MODEL/FRAMEWORK
community or the universe and all Ø It is the representations of an idea (a
that it contains model is anything used in any way to
- The internal and external represent anything else) based on the
surroundings of the client own understanding of the person
- It refers to the surroundings of an Ø The representations of the interaction among
object and between the concepts showing patterns
4. Nursing Ø It allow the concepts in nursing theory to be
successfully applied to nursing practice
- The profession concerned with the
Ø Concepts that specify their interrelationship to
provision of services essential to the form an organized perspective for viewing the
maintenance and restoration of phenomena
health Ex.King’s Goal Attainment
- This may include diagnosing and
treatment of human responses to 7. SCIENCE
actual or potential health problems Ø It came from Latin word : scientia,
meaning "knowledge"
Ø System of acquiring knowledge based on
scientific method
Ø Organized knowledge based on research

• Basic Types of Science:

1. Natural Sciences- geology,

meteorology
2. Basic or Pure Sciences- mathematics,
english
3. Human or Social Sciences- political
science, economics, sociology,
5. PHILOSOPHY psychology
4. Practice or Applied Sciences- nursing,
Ø It is from the Greek word philosophia, engineering, architecture
which literally means love of wisdom
Ø It is an academic discipline that exercises
reason and logic in an attempt to
understand reality and answer
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8. KNOWLEDGE 4. Operational Definitions
Ø It is an expertise, and skills acquired - are meaning of a word based on the
by a person through experience or method of how it was measured or
education how the person come up with the
perception
9. CONCEPTS 5. Discrete
Ø These are considered to be the - identifies categories or classes of
building blocks of theory phenomena
Ø It can include words that describe ex. Typologies of marital
objects , properties, or events and status: single,married,widoewed or
are basic components of theory divorced
Ø …or an idea, thought or notion 6. Continuous
conceived in the mind - permits classifications of dimensions
Ø These bring forth mental pictures & or gradations of a phenomena
give meanings of things ex. indicating degree of marital
Ø Concepts can be categorized in terms conflict.(high or low)
of: - it uses continuum
1. Types: a. Empirical/Concrete ex. degree of temperature,
b. Abstract level of anxiety, degree of pain
2. Defining: a. Theoretical - can be simple or complex and relate
Definition to an object or event that comes from
b. Operational Definition individual perceptual experiences
3. Typologies: a. Discrete ex. Height of children, Weight of cars, Time
a. Continuous Concepts to wake up in the morning, Speed of the
train

Categorization Of Concepts: End of Chapter 1….

1. Empirical/ Concrete
- they can be observed or experienced
through the senses
ex.stethoscope(can be ssen
and touch)
2. Abstract
- those that are not observable, such
as caring, hope, and infinity
- all concepts become abstractions in
the absence of the object
ex. social system, nurse
competency
3. Theoretical Definitions
- are the meaning of a word based on
how a certain theory or relevant
literature perceives it to be.