Nursing Theory Essay Example

as an “expanding consciousness” and placed emphasis on nursing as a profession that recognizes the individuality of each patient's pattern of life and works within that pattern to achieve their goals. In essence, beyond the clinical aspect of nursing, its philosophical foundation emphasizes the importance of understanding the patient within the broader context of their life. Nursing as a profession requires a specific knowledge base that encompasses competencies in communication, sensitivity, organization, problem-solving, teaching, accuracy, consistency, thoroughness and continuity.

According to appropriate standards (Hird, 1995, “Valuing nursing”, para. 2), various activities are conducted in nursing using theories to describe, develop, disseminate and apply current knowledge. The nursing knowledge base helps in providing a framework for delivering seamless care and maintaining uniformity in terms of observation, focus, thinking and queries(Wilkerson, 2005, pars. 1-3).

Focusing on the humanistic aspect of nursing theory goes beyond treating disease and focuses on the practice of nursing as distinct from medicine. This approach, which centers on problem-solving related to human needs, aligns with the philosophical foundation of nursing as a profession. Nurses should avoid the attitude of merely following physician orders, and instead consider each individual patient's unique environment and its impact on their healthcare attitudes and experiences (Early Nursing Theories, 2002, pars. 2-3).