Nursing practice has experienced tremendous improvements over the course of centuries and the in the past two decades. Improvements in the field have been attributed to developments in theory and research, which have informed practice. The improvements have been instrumental in contributing towards improved care and improved efficiency in the delivery of care. However, continued improvements in the nursing field highlights the need to not only identify theory, practice, and research as three separate elements crucial to the field but also to understand the interrelationship among the three components and influence in everyday nursing.
Theories provide a description of the area under study through an analysis of the different phenomenon under study to promote reader understanding by explanations on the relationship between the concepts presented that guide in developing predictions on the future relationship as per the identified variables (Butts & Rich, 2015). In this case, the theories provide an explanation of the area under study in a logical and ordered manner that contributes towards the identification of the interrelationships and interconnectedness of the presented factors. Theories are integral to nursing practice as they inform practice by identifying predictions on possible relationships while providing explanations on the occurrence of different factors that impact the care process (Butts & Rich, 2015). Theories are integral in nursing practice as based on their insight and predictions, they inform and guide the design and evaluation processes attached to evidence-based interventions. As such, theories directly inform practice as they aid in providing explanations and possible predictions that guide the delivery of care. Equally, the theories inform and guide research by aiding in the design and evaluation process to facilitate the success of the research process.
The changing nature of patient needs in the nursing environment not only relies on theories but growing evidence-based practice to inform the care process and environment. Evidence-based practice creates a nursing environment where nurses rely on both theoretical understanding of the patient’s illness and needs along with research-based interventions that are integral in informing practice and contributing to patient well-being (Hamrin, 2015). In this case, theory and practice are intertwined as the theoretical constructs inform practice from a theoretical approach while evidence-based research informs practice from previous studies that guide on direct application of the findings. Evidence-based practice is critical in nursing as it contributes towards the integration of new insights in practice that are informed by recent studies and research in the field (Rycroft-Malone, 2013).
The approach is instrumental in informing current practice along with identifying possible measures that may be adopted to improve on current practice to facilitate proper delivery of care (Rycroft-Malone, 2013). Evidence-based practice directly relates to research as it informs practice based on studies conducted on different areas that aim to improve the nursing practice. The research component focuses on nursing science that studies principles and application to nursing practice (Rycroft-Malone, 2013). In this case, the importance placed on nursing science focusses on using scientific basis to guide nursing practice. Therefore, theory, practice and research are interrelated and are integral in informing and guiding nursing practice
References
Butts, J. & Rich, K. (2015). Philosophies and theories for advanced nursing practice (3rd ed.).
Jones and Bartlett Learning. ISBN: 9781284112245
Hamrin, E. (2015). ‘When nursing care became science. The first decades 1970-
2000’. Scandinavian journal of caring sciences, 29(1), 1-2.
Rycroft-Malone, J. (2013). Reflecting Back, Looking Forward: 10 Years of Worldviews on
Evidence-Based Nursing. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 10:2, 67–68.
