Question

9.    According to Grove, Gray, and Burns (2015), nursing uses theories to organize their body of knowledge and establish what is known about a phenomenon. Elements of a theory that may be found in a nursing research article include: (Select all that apply.)

a.      concepts: the basic element of a theory (also known as a construct or variable).

b.      research problem: the identified gap in the theory.

c.       dependent variable: what is operationally measured by the theory.

d.      relational statements: clarify the relationships that exist between concepts.

e.      descriptive design: the quantitative research design used to describe a theory.

Illness Representations, Treatment Beliefs, Medication Adherence, and 30-day Hospital Readmission Rates in Adults with Chronic Heart Failure.

(Turrise, 2016)

Answer 1

Answer: Elements of a nursing theory that are found in the nursing article include:

1. Concept - which is the basis of the theory.  A concept is a symbolic representation of an actual thing - tree, chair, table, computer, distance, etc.
2. Research problem - which identifies the gap in the theory. A problem statement is the description of an issue currently existing which needs to be addressed. It provides the context for the research study and generates the questions which the research aims to answer. The statement of the problem is the focal point of any research.
3. Dependent variable - variable to be measured using the theory. The two main variables in an experiment are the independent and dependent variable. An independent variable is the variable that is changed or controlled in a scientific experiment to test the effects on the dependent variable. ... Thedependent variable is 'dependent' on the independent variable.
4. Relational statements - to determine the relationship with other concepts. Researchers often develop hypotheses, or statements that propose a relationshipbetween two or more variables, prior to conducting their studies. An example of a relational hypothesis is that a significant relationship exists between smoking and obesity.

The other elements are:

1. Background of the study
2. Review of previous studies that are relevant
3. Main objectives of the study
4. Methodology - Design will be mostly qualitative or mixed method that is both qualitative and quantitative design.
5. Sampling technique and samples or variables
6. Data collection tools
7. Tools for analysis