expanded to include additional knowledge and
skills from related disciplines, such as medicine and
psychology. Although the majority of nurses prac-
tice in hospitals, an increasing number of nurses
practice elsewhere in the community, taking the
venue of their practice closer to those served by
nursing.
Groups of nurses working together as colleagues
to provide nursing often realize that they share the
same values and beliefs about nursing. The study of
nursing theories can clarify the purposes of nursing
and facilitate building a cohesive practice to meet
these purposes. Regardless of the setting of nursing
practice, nurses may choose to study nursing theo-
ries together in order to design and articulate the-
ory-based practice. The exercise in Chapter 2 is
offered to facilitate this work.
This chapter offers guides for continuing study
of nursing theory for use in nursing practice.
Because many nurses are creating new practice or-
ganizations and settings, a guide for study of nurs-
ing theory for use in nursing administration has
been developed. The guides are intended for use in
conjunction with the overall study of nursing the-
ory, including the methods of analysis and evalua-
tion outlined in Chapter 2. The first guide is a set of
questions for consideration in study and selection
of a nursing theory for use in practice. The second
guide is an outline of factors to consider when
studying nursing theory for use in nursing organi-
zation and administration.
Responses to questions offered and points sum-
marized in the guides may be found in nursing lit-
erature as well as in audiovisual and electronic
resources. Primary source material, including the
writing of nurses who are recognized authorities in
specific nursing theories and the use of nursing
theory, should be used. Subsequent chapters of this
book offer such sources. Users of this guide are in-
vited to examine each question carefully and add
questions from other theory analysis and evalua-
tion guides to meet their particular purposes.
Study of Theory for
Nursing Practice
Four main questions have been developed and re-
fined to facilitate study of nursing theories for use
in nursing practice (Parker, 1993). These questions
are intended to focus on concepts within the theo-
ries as well as on points of interest and general in-
formation about each theory. This guide was
developed for use by practicing nurses and students
in undergraduate and graduate nursing education
programs. Many nurses and students have used
these questions and have contributed to their con-
tinuing development. The guide may be used to
study most of the nursing theories developed at all
levels. It has been used to create surveys of nursing
theories. An early motivation for developing this
guide was the work by the Nursing Development
Conference Group (1973).24 SECTION I Perspectives on Nursing Theory
A GUIDE FOR STUDY OF NURSING THEORY
FOR USE IN PRACTICEHow is nursing conceptualized in the
theory?
Is the focus of nursing stated?- What does the nurse attend to when practic-
ing nursing? - What guides nursing observations, reflec-
tions, decisions, and actions? - What does the nurse think about when con-
sidering nursing? - What are illustrations of use of the theory to
guide practice?
What is the purpose of nursing? - What do nurses do when they are practicing
nursing? - What are exemplars of nursing assessments,
designs, plans, and evaluations? - What indicators give evidence of quality and
quantity of nursing practice? - Is the richness and complexity of nursing
practice evident?
What are the boundaries or limits for nursing? - How is nursing distinguished from other
health and medical services? - How is nursing related to other disciplines
and services? - What is the place of nursing in interdiscipli-
nary settings? - What is the range of nursing situations in
which the theory is useful?
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