There are numerous definitions of the nursing profession provided by different theorists. The definition that appeals to me the most is the one provided by Dorothea Orem in her self-care deficit theory. She defined nursing as “the act of assisting others in the provision and management of self-care to maintain or improve human functioning at the home level of effectiveness” (McEwen & Wills, 2019, p. 151). I believe that this definition catches the central idea that patients are the best care providers for themselves, and nurses only need to assist them in learning and implementing sufficient self-care practices. While this definition appears holistic, there are also more function definitions of the nursing profession. For instance, Dorothy Johnson defined nursing as “an external regulatory force that acts to preserve the organization and integrate the patients’ behaviors at an optimum level under those conditions in which the behavior constitutes a threat to the physical or social health or in which illness is found” (McEwen & Wills, 2019, p. 155). This definition sees nursing as a force rather than an act, which appears inaccurate to me.
Nursing theories are crucial for nurses for many reasons. For instance, understanding the definition of nursing helps to understand the purpose of a nurse (Roy, 2018). In the case of Orem’s definition, the purpose of a nurse is to assist the patient, while Jonson states that nurses are to regulate the behavior. I also understand the nursing theories are crucial for nursing research, which can advance the nursing profession. A well-established nursing theory can direct a researcher in the studies and help to make predictions and hypothesize about the outcomes (McEwen & Wills, 2019). My understanding of the nursing theory’s importance and benefits was obscure, as I was uncertain how theory could be translated into practice. This course helped me realize the applications of nursing theory to practice.
References
McEwen, M., & Wills, E.M. (2019). Theoretical basis for nursing (5th ed.). Walters Kluwer.
Roy, C. (2018). Key issues in nursing theory: Developments, challenges, and future directions. Nursing Research, 67(2), 81-92.