NR501 NP Week 1: Nursing Theory
NR501 NP Week 1. For many students enrolled in NR501, this is an initial course for nursing theory. So, let’s have a debate. Is nursing theory important to the nursing profession? In particular, is it important for nurse practitioners? Does theory inform nurse practitioner practice? If you believe that it is important, explain why it is useful. If you do not believe that it is useful, explain why nursing theory is not necessary to the profession?
NR501 NP Week 1 Answer
Nursing theory holds profound significance in the nursing profession and its practical application. With the escalating complexities and discrepancies in contemporary healthcare, marked by heightened inter-professional collaborations, nurses’ endeavors to delineate professional boundaries vis-à-vis medicine, and the expansion of their scope of practice encompassing tasks traditionally within the purview of physicians, the need for guidance from nursing theory becomes increasingly imperative.
According to Saleh (2018), nursing theory plays a pivotal role in fostering a distinct professional identity among nurses. This, in turn, facilitates recognition from patients, fellow healthcare professionals, and administrators, thereby acknowledging the unique contributions of nurses within the healthcare framework. The articulation of a well-established nursing theory provides a recognized framework that enables nurses to comprehend their intrinsic value and delineate their roles more explicitly (Butts & Rich, 2017).
Furthermore, nursing theory serves as a compass for nurses to delineate the contours of their knowledge, aiding in the identification of the foundational principles guiding their practice and illuminating areas that necessitate further exploration.NR501 NP Week 1
References:
Butts, J. B., & Rich, K. L. (2017). Philosophies and Theories for Advanced Nursing Practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Saleh, M. (2018). The Importance of Nursing Theories in Nursing Education. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 8(5), 94–97. doi:10.5430/jnep.v8n5p94
