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6 UNIT I Evolution of Nursing Theories

TABLE 1-1 Historical Eras of Nursing’s Search for Specialized Knowledge
Historical Eras Major Question Emphasis Outcomes Emerging Goal

Curriculum What curriculum content Courses included in Standardized curricula Develop specialized
Era: should student nurses nursing programs for diploma programs knowledge and higher
1900 to 1940s study to be nurses? education
Research Era: What is the focus for Role of nurses and what Problem studies and Isolated studies do not
1950 to 1970s nursing research? to research studies of nurses yield unified knowledge
Graduate Edu- What knowledge is Carving out an advanced Nurses have an impor- Focus graduate educa-
cation Era: needed for the role and basis for tant role in health tion on knowledge
1950 to 1970s practice of nursing? nursing practice care development
Theory Era: How do these frame- There are many ways to Nursing theoretical Theories guide nursing
1980 to 1990s works guide research think about nursing works shift the focus research and practice
and practice? to the patient
Theory What new theories Nursing theory guides Middle-range theory Nursing frameworks
Utilization Era: are needed to produce research, practice, may be from quanti- produce knowledge
Twenty-first evidence of quality education, and tative or qualitative (evidence) for quality
Century care? administration approaches care

Alligood, M. R. (2014, in press). Nursing theory: Utilization & application. Maryland Heights, (MO): Mosby-Elsevier.

Significance of Nursing Theory The achievements of the profession over the past
At the beginning of the twentieth century, nursing century were highly relevant to nursing science devel-
was not recognized as an academic discipline or a opment, but they did not come easily. History shows
profession. The accomplishments of the past century that many nurses pioneered the various causes and
led to the recognition of nursing in both areas. The challenged the status quo with creative ideas for both
terms discipline and profession are interrelated, and the health of people and the development of nursing.
some may even use them interchangeably; however Their achievements ushered in this exciting time
they are not the same. It is important to note their when nursing became recognized as both an aca-
differences and specific meaning, as noted in Box 1-1: demic discipline and a profession (Fitzpatrick, 1983;
Kalisch & Kalisch, 2003; Meleis, 2007; Shaw, 1993).
This section addresses the significance of theoretical
works for the discipline and the profession of nursing.
BOX 1-1 The Meaning of a Discipline Nursing theoretical works represent the most com-
and a Profession prehensive presentation of systematic nursing knowl-
n A discipline is specific to academia and refers edge; therefore, nursing theoretical works are vital to
to a branch of education, a department of the future of both the discipline and the profession
learning, or a domain of knowledge. of nursing.
n A profession refers to a specialized field of prac-
tice, founded upon the theoretical structure of Significance for the Discipline
the science or knowledge of that discipline and Nurses entered baccalaureate and higher-degree
accompanying practice abilities. programs in universities during the last half of the
twentieth century, and the goal of developing knowl-
Data from Donaldson, S. K., & Crowley, D. M. (1978). The discipline of edge as a basis for nursing practice began to be real-
nursing. Nursing Outlook, 26(2), 1113–1120.; Orem, D. (2001). Nursing:
Concepts of practice (6th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.; Styles, M. M. (1982). ized. University baccalaureate programs proliferated,
On nursing: Toward a new endowment. St. Louis: Mosby. master’s programs in nursing were developed, and