NR 501 Week 5 Borrowed (non-nursing) Theories Applied to the Nursing Profession
Theories are the framework of nursing. Although some were meant for other disciplines, they are very useful in clinical nursing practice. These non-nursing theories along with nursing theories incorporate a world of nursing that produces positive outcomes not only for patients but also for nurses as they strive to render quality care to patients. Nursing has also shared borrowed theories that were pertinent to mental health, for example, that aid nurses in being aware of what is going on holistically with patients.
As a nurse, one borrowed theory is the Role Theory from Sociology. This theory is considered an interactionist framework in which social interaction connects individuals to each other and to society. Role Theory suggests that everyone occupies a social status but plays a role (Lindesmith & Strauss, 1968). This role is determined by what social position the person resides in. The basic idea is that individuals have various roles in life and that these roles come with methods on how an individual should fulfill their duties in this social position. Human experience, according to role theory, can be conceptualized in terms of discrete patterns of behavior that suggest a particular way of thinking, feeling, or acting (Frydman, 2016). Role is one name for these patterns. It is how the individual interfaces with the world. The patterns one possesses provides a rationale for interaction. How we see ourselves in context is dependent on the coordination and understanding of our experiences.
Social influences have a strong impact on wellness and the health of patients. Within this social place, there are classes of individuals that are known by their characteristics, gender, ethnicity, and education level. For example, as an advanced clinical practice nurse, the roles expected are teacher, advocate, healthcare provider, clinical assessor, etc. As each role is fulfilled, the advanced clinical practice nurse gets to know her role as well as be able to gain knowledge from experiences that he or she has had to deal with and possess the ability to further educate future patients that may have encountered the same experience. This can enhance clinical practice by the provider gaining more knowledge and understanding of the specified roles in this chosen profession. Thus, the defining characteristics of a role must be drawn from what the role is not.
While in each role, there are levels of rights, duties, and expectations that each party, patient and healthcare provider, experiences because of being in this position. Role Theory does not provide a transparent view of the individual’s personality; rather, it demonstrates a single part of a greater whole. This presentation allows for further significance of role as the individual possesses a whole host of roles and is dependent upon their fluidity in order to maintain a multidimensional view of existence (Frydman, 2016).
References
Lindesmith, A., & Strauss, A. (1968). Social psychology. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Frydman, A. S. (2016). Role theory and executive functioning: Constructing cooperative paradigms of drama therapy and cognitive neuropsychology. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 47, 41-47.
ALSO READ: NR 501 Week 6: Application of Theory to Leadership and Management
While the focus of this course is nursing theory, frequently the use of non-nursing or borrowed theories occurs. Select a nursing practice area (i.e. education, executive, advance clinical practice, informatics, and health care policy); then identify a non-nursing (borrowed) theory; and apply it to the area you have selected. Be sure to provide an example of how the non-nursing theory can be used to enhance the selected practice area. Don’t forget to include scholarly reference(s) to support your information.
For this post, I am going to choose the specialty track that I am currently in: the educator track. A non-nursing (borrowed) theory I think that applies to my specific area is the discipline-specific theory. This theory is defined as an organized knowledge that is unique to its own specific discipline. Knowledge that is considered owned can have significance to the knowledge and discipline that is shared throughout our profession. This makes me think of things such as providing answers to questions, solutions to problems, or explaining nursing content. This theory is designed to identify the knowledge that is specific to a certain branch of learning, which in this field would be nursing. Its purpose is to provide a database that is related to nursing care and is designed to improve and promote the health and well-beings of the patients under my nursing students care (Cordon, 2013).
We as nurses must have a discipline-specific determination to provide high quality nursing care. We must establish a framework specifically designed to the nursing profession. We are legally and morally responsible for our patients, but for some reason, the meaning of “high quality care” remains unclear mainly because the models we have used to define are borrowed from other disciplines. Patient outcomes are products of our service. They are specific to our patient’s own perspective and are actions and behaviors are linked to our discipline-specific determination and knowledge (Gunther et al., 2012).
References:
Gunther, M., & Alligood, M. R. (2012). A discipline-specific determination of high quality nursing care. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 38(4), 353-359. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.2002.02201.x
Cordon, C. P. (2013). System theories: An overview of various system theories and its application in healthcare. American Journal of Systems Science, 2(1), 13-22.
DOI: 10.5923/j.ajss.20130201.03
To answer your question in-depth, I first did a little research on the General Systems Theory. This theory is utilized more as an approach, per say, rather than a theory. This approach is used in our profession as a new way of seeing the profession and understanding it. This theory actually goes hand and hand with the development of physical sciences and the rise of both conflict and peace. GST is a characteristic of groups and systems combining together as one, or as we see a whole (Rousseau, 2016).
Click here to ORDER an A++ paper from our Verified MASTERS and DOCTORATE WRITERS: NR 501 Week 5 Borrowed (non-nursing) Theories Applied to the Nursing Profession
With this being said, GST is a “wholeness” in the nursing profession. I can see a correlation between GST and nursing theories due to this very fact. There are correlations between GST and nursing theory because the two tend to integrate with various sciences. GST also is the “center theory” in all of our nursing theories. GST and nursing theories are important aspects in the physical fields of science and the nonphysical fields of science (Rousseau, 2016).
I also think that GST as a whole develops principles throughout all nursing theories and in turn brings us closer to a unity of science which leads us to an integration of education in the science and nursing profession. GST appears holistic in nursing theory and we must think of it as a system of mutual interaction (Rousseau, 2016).
I found this theory to be interesting in our profession because Ludwig found that the study of systems can contain a cross-sectional approach or a developmental approach. A cross-sectional approach deals with the mutual interactions between two or more systems (or in this case, nursing theories) and a developmental approach deals with changes that occur over time. Nursing theories too use these approaches and look at nursing as a profession and a structure that can be changed overtime (Rousseau, 2016).
Reference:
Rousseau, D., Billingham, J., Wilby, J., & Blachfellner, S. (2016). The Synergy between General Systems Theory and the General Systems Worldview. Systema Journal, 4(1). Retrieved January 30, 2018.
This writer will be discussing this question from the perspective of Family Nurse Practitioner track. This writer will be using the constructivist learning theory for this discussion, as I think it will enhance my general information and positively influence future experience in healthcare settings, particularly primary healthcare setting facilities. My personal professional ultimate goal is to practice as a primary care provider for patients that receive care in neighborhood communities which are lacking proper health services. As a future Family Nurse Practitioner, I will make great effort to gain advantage in my specialty area by maintaining up to date information, advancing my educational capacity as well as taking part in clinical research in order to improve and sharpen my clinical skills, so the care I am able to provide to others is appropriate, accurate, and evidence based utilizing the newest technology and leadership skills.
According to Hsieh, Hsu & Huang (2016) constructivist learning theory, which is the theory I have chosen, is a leaning theory found in psychology that enlightens how people might obtain knowledge and learn. Cognitive theories are utilized to analyze student’s learning development process to comprehend in what way the knowledge is received, ordered, kept and retrieved by the mind. The objectives of constructivism are to comprehend the skills applied to the process of critical thinking, teamwork, and individual enquiry, skills that are of paramount importance to nursing practice and the application of evidence based practice.
Learning is a process that involves active collaboration, discussion and teamwork. One of the benefits of constructivist learning environments application is the importance placed on the social and cultural aspects of learning. This theory is focused on an active learning environment.
According to Hsieh, Hsu & Huang (2016) constructivism is founded on the impression that newly-acquired information is constructed upon and within the background of preceding knowledge. In this model, trainers originally present basic concepts, and then progressively increase to more complex concepts, whereas students apprise themselves with the more basic concepts. In a constructivist classroom, educators are required to develop all skills that the students need to actively participate.
According to Cook (2012) constructivist learning environments has potential for family nurse practitioner (FNP) students to practice safe clinical decision making through virtual stimulation. When utilizing this theoretical framework, it is crucial for Family Nurse Practitioners students to pay keen attention to the technology and pedagogy proficiencies, in the virtual learning setting in order to achieve high quality learning.
Primary care providers, on a regular basis, communicate with their clients and other healthcare providers and members of the healthcare team by the use of discussion, interchange and collaboration among each team member with the final purpose of finding the correct treatment approach for every affected patient or client they encounter during clinical practice. This process is an active learning process, which may be called constructive learning. An example is that a Family Nurse Practitioner manages her gynecological patient with an abnormal vaginal bleeding; at some point of the disease process, the Family Nurse Practitioner will refer this patient to an Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist for further required management or surgical procedure. In taking the decision to refer this patient to an Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist, the patient’s condition can be treated and managed before any complication arises that may put the patient’s life at risk. The specialist may cooperate with the patient’s primary care provider in the provision of health maintenance and continuity of care of this patient’s healthcare general.
Reference
Cook, M. J. (2012). Design and initial evaluation of a virtual pediatric primary care clinic in Second Life®. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 24(9), 521-527. doi:10.1111/j.1745-7599.2012.00729.x, retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=7bad8417-ad6c-4e0a-b999-104c888c03b9%40sessionmgr4010 (Links to an external site.)
Hsieh, S., Hsu, L., & Huang, T. (2016). The effect of integrating constructivist and evidence-based practice on baccalaureate nursing student’s cognitive load and learning performance in a research course. Nurse Education Today, 6, 1-8. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2016.03.025 (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from https://www-sciencedirect-com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/science/article/pii/S0260691716300077?_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_origin=gateway&_docanchor=&md5=b8429449ccfc9c30159a5f9aeaa92ffb&ccp=y (Links to an external site.)
I enjoyed reading your discussion and really found the information you put across really interesting and inviting to reflect on from us future family nurse practitioners as health care providers. I agree with your selection of the Chaos theory to apply its principles and concepts during advance clinical practice as professional health care provider when performing duties as Family Nurse Practitioner.
According to Boudreau (2017) Chaos theory portrays patterns of an active system as the butterfly outcome in which are minor changes in the initial condition of an active system that can strongly modify its long-term behavior patterns, hence generating a butterfly effect by new information pouring into the system. An active system in motion is always developing, never coming back to its initial state in order to keep an equilibrium. Human physiologists research and enlighten the mechanism of homeostasis within the inner environment through the application of the Chaos theory tenets. Chaos is described as the changeability of unequal patterns that appear in a system, which is triggered by crisis, illness, discomfort and aching.
Indeed, I agree with your statement that a Family Nurse Practitioner will be undertaking duties in which the ultimate goal will be attending to patients with affections and illness that might be undergoing deterioration of their health status.
According to Boudreau (2017) it is important to recognized that the butterfly effect is susceptible to the original circumstances of the person’s environment and determinants of health, which progress towards a passing state of modification among chaos and balance, while being impact by engaging factors such as the nurse and patient relationship.
It is important also as Family Nurse Practitioner to compromise and apply different theories to the daily clinical practice to provide effective care. An example in which we can apply the Chaos theory is when a patient desire to conceive, however she is suffering from complications of previous exposure to frequent sexually transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Syphilis. The outcome is uncertain of the complications caused by the respective sexually transmitted diseases
Reference
Boudreau, J. E. (2017). Chaos through the continuum of kidney dysfunction: A conceptual framework. Canadian Association of Nephrology Nurses and Technologists, (27)2, 29-34. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=b4f8e75f-0d56-4090-8777-a3d8eac87c8e%40sessionmgr101 (Links to an external site.)