Question

How does nursing theory influence evidence based practice?

Answer 1

Effective nursing practice reqires the application of knowledge,skills, caring,and art to care for patient in an effective, efficient, and considerated way. An important part of the knowledge used in making nursing clinical decision is produced by research findings. Ideally, all patients care decision should be based on research evidence. Research findings are used to develop a protocol and the protocol is followed in daily nursing pratice.

The relationship between research and theory is reciprocal where research generate more knowledge and theory. Theory is integral to the research process where it is important to use theory as a framework to provide perspective and guidance to the reserch study. Theory can also be used to guide the research process by generating and testing phenomena of interest.

The primary purpose of theory in the profession of nursing is to improve the practice by positively influence the health and quality of life of patients. The relationship between theory and practice is reciprocal. Practice is the basic for the development of nursing theory wheras nursing theory must validated in pratice.

There have been several calls to relate theory, practice, and research. However, the profession triangle remain fragmented and unrecognised. To promote the nursing proffession's ability to meet the social obligation, there need to be an ongoing reciprocal and cyclical relationship among theory, pratice, and research. This will help close the perceived gap between theory and practice and promote the theory guided pratice.

Nursing leaders must work towards keeping the reciprocal and cyclical relationship among theory,and research by bringing the gap between theory and practice. These can be done by continued intrection between nursing researchers/scholars and praticing nurse. Second, we need to increase undergraduate and graduate student nurses exposure to theoritical principles. As well, we need to stress theoretical concepts , constructs and principles following the completion of formal education. We need to provide nursing theorists/scholars and reserchers the opportunity for clinical involvement to minimize the disparty between the world of nursing theorists and scholars and the world of practicing nurses. Finally we need to adress current health care and nursing issues from theoretical perspectives. As we progress in to the 21st century ,nurse scholars, scientists, reserchers and practitioners must place theory guided pratice at the core of nursing. To provide effective, efficient and holisticcare, nurses must rely on sound theoretical principles to develop and implement the plan of care.