NUR 501 Module 4 Discussion: Theories & Conceptual Models

NUR 501 Module 4 Discussion: Theories & Conceptual Models

Effective patient care requires qualified nursing practitioners who embrace continuous learning to remain updated on the current developments in practice. Besides regular care to patients, advanced practice nurses educate the public on health problems, participate in policymaking, and conduct research. As primary care providers and change agents, these professionals utilize theories and conceptual models to guide their everyday work. These theories and models could be from the nursing field or other disciplines related to nursing but relevant in the advanced nursing practice.

Advanced nursing practitioners use theories to structure patient care and conduct theory-guided research. Gaines (2023) described nursing theory as structured ideas that project a systematic view of phenomena. These ideas provide the foundational knowledge that allows nurses to provide effective, patient-centered care. Grand nursing and middle-range theories are widely used in advanced nursing practice to ensure best practice. A suitable example is Virginia Henderson’s Nursing Need Theory, whose fundamental principle is enabling the patient to be independent to accelerate their progress in the hospital (Lopez et al., 2020). The other relevant theory is Katharine Kolcaba’s Comfort Theory. Kolcaba described comfort as the holistic experience achieved when nursing professionals meet the patient’s need for relief, ease, and transcendence (Lin et al., 2023). As a result, the theory provides a guideline for maximizing comfort as a critical part of the healing process. Advanced nurse practitioners also conduct research to improve knowledge of basic issues and improve patient care. Nursing theories guide nurses in conducting theory-guided research to test basic assumptions. The research findings are used as the knowledge base for best practices that address the current patient care demands.

Conceptual models are used in optimizing patient care and as frameworks of evidence-based practice (EBP) and research. According to Vieira et al. (2021), conceptual models provide a framework for reflection, observation, and interpretation of nursing phenomena. They also provide guidelines for implementing various aspects of clinical practice, like patient-centeredness, patient engagement, and teamwork. A suitable example is the Conceptual Framework for Comfort Theory. According to this model, comfort is achieved by addressing healthcare needs while providing comforting interventions and addressing intervening variables in a clinical environment (Lin et al., 2023). Enhanced comfort further promotes health-seeking behaviors and improves institutional integrity since it leads to the best patient care practices and policies. Conceptual models also help nurses to implement EBP in advanced nursing practice. For instance, the Johns Hopkins Nursing EBP (JHNEBP) model provides a framework for EBP implementation in three basic steps: formulating a practice question, evidence search, and translation to practice (Dang et al., 2021). The conceptual model guides nursing professionals in addressing clinical issues through interventions that are supported by current scientific evidence. EBP also involves an intensive search of evidence, which typifies research and improves nurses’ overall research skills.

Nurses engage in many activities to ensure high-quality patient care. Besides regular practice, advanced nursing practitioners conduct research and implement EBP. Theories and conceptual models within and outside nursing provide frameworks and guidelines for nurses to engage in structured processes. They ensure nursing interventions are goal-driven and purposeful and can be evaluated to determine whether the desired outcomes were accomplished. Importantly, these theories and conceptual models are the cornerstone of improved patient care since they help nurses implement systematic changes that lead to best practices.

References

Dang, D., Dearholt, S. L., Bissett, K., Ascenzi, J., & Whalen, M. (2021). Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice for nurses and healthcare professionals: Model and guidelines. Sigma Theta Tau.

Gaines, K. (2023). Nursing theories & theorists explained. nurse.org. https://nurse.org/education/nursing-theories/

Lin, Y., Zhou, Y., & Chen, C. (2023). Interventions and practices using Comfort Theory of Kolcaba to promote adults’ comfort: an evidence and gap map protocol of international effectiveness studies. Systematic Reviews, 12(1), 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-023-02202-8

Lopez, M., Jimenez, J. M., Fernández-Castro, M., Martin-Gil, B., Garcia, S., Cao, M. J., Frutos-Martin, M., & Castro, M. J. (2020). Impact of nursing methodology training sessions on completion of the Virginia Henderson assessment record. Nursing Reports,10(2), 106–114. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep10020014

Vieira, J. V., Deodato, S., & Mendes, F. (2021). Conceptual models of nursing in critical care. Critical Care Research and Practice, 2021, 5583319. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5583319

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