Topic 1. Magnet-designated hospitals must have a theoretical model that guides care. Every staff member must be oriented on that theory and its application in the facility. As nursing scholars, you may be called upon to guide your colleagues in this adventure. In this exercise, describe any experiences you have had in implementing a facility-designated theoretical model. Topic 2. Choose a theory from your undergraduate education in any discipline. It should be a commonly-used theory for the general public, such as Maslow, Darwin, Descartes, or others you used in physiology, chemistry, business courses, etc. Do not use a nursing theory. Provide the theory in your response. Identify the two concepts and the proposition between them. Explain the concepts. How might the terms used differ from the general use of the term? How might the term be confused or misinterpreted? Format your theory in the form “psychosocial development (Concept A) progresses through (Proposition) stages (Concept B)”.
Topic 3. Choose a clinical situation in your specialty and create a theory from your observations. Report the theory to the class. Use a form that clearly identifies your concepts and propositions such as “psychosocial development (Concept A) progresses through (Proposition) stages (Concept B)”. Identify and define the concepts involved and the proposition between them. For example: a surgical unit nurse may have observed that elevating the head of the bed for an abdominal surgery patient (Concept A) reduces (Proposition) complaints of pain (Concept B). The concepts are the head of the bed and pain. The proposition is that changing one will decrease the other. Raising the head of the bed decreases pain. Use current literature to define your concepts. Each concept should have at least two supporting references.
Topic 4. Watson’s Caring Theory, a grand theory and conceptual model in nursing, is the underlying framework for United States University College of Nursing’s programs. Identify a middle-range theory within her conceptual model. Clearly identify how she defines the concepts and propositions between them. Report them to the class using the form “psychosocial development (Concept A) progress through (Proposition) stages (Concept B)”. Psychosocial development and stages are examples and NOT required for the assignment. Discuss why her work is considered a grand theory.
Topic 5. In the lecture for the week, a theory was identified. “Knowledge as a component of the sociocultural orientation basic conditioning factor enhances prevention of hazards” is a theory from a major nursing framework. Identify the framework and provide an example of how other applications of this theory may occur in nursing practice. For example, you may say that education may enhance the reduction of free throw rugs in an elderly person’s home which will prevent falls. Tie the concepts together by clearly defining them and how they could be measured. Find an instrument, survey, or tool in the literature that could be used to measure the concept. For example: if you are measuring pain, you might use the Faces Pain Scale – Revised, at the following link:
https://www.iasp-pain.org/resources/faces-pain-scale-revised/?ItemNumber=1519
Topic 6. Find a concept within Watson’s Theory of Caring and a similar concept within any other nursing theory. Compare the two concepts for similarities and differences. Illustrate how a person reading about a theory can be influenced in their understanding of a theory if they have a different definition of a concept than the author.
- The length of each topic must be a minimum of 250 words, not including references
- Citations: At least two high-level scholarly reference in APA from within the last 5 years
