1.1 History of Nursing Theory
1.1 History of Nursing Theory
1.1 History of Nursing Theory
“Critical – thinking”
- “intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing,
synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation,
experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.”
The Future
Meleis (1992) predicted six characteristics of nursing discipline that would direct theory
development in 21st Century and are still valid today.
1. The human science underlying the discipline that “is predicated on understanding the
meanings of daily lived experiences as they are perceived by the members or the participants of
the science”
2. There is increased emphasis on the practice – orientation, or actual rather than “ought-to-be”
practice.
3. Nursing’s mission is to develop theories to empower nurses, the discipline, and clients.
4. “Acceptance of the fact that women may have different strategies and approaches to
knowledge development than men.”
5. Nursing’s attempt to “understand consumers” experiences for the purpose of empowering
them to receive optimum care and to maintain optimum health.
6. “The effort to broaden nursing’s perspective includes efforts to understand the practice of
nursing in third world countries.”
Meleis (1992) forecasts that nursing theories will become theories for health, developed by nurses,
physicians, therapists, and others.