The History of Nursing Knowledge and the Development of Nursing Theories (Essay Sample)

The History of Nursing Knowledge and the Development of Nursing Theories
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The History of Nursing Knowledge and Development of Nursing Theories
Introduction
Nursing was mostly a female dominated field, uncompensated and more of community service. The field of nursing and its importance began to change during the late 19th century when formal training of nurses was introduced, and it became a profession (D'Antonio, 2010). Nursing theories, on the other hand, help in advancing the knowledge of nursing. The theories evolve over time because of the changing environments and situations.
The History of Nursing Knowledge
The care provided to people with diverse health needs is referred to as nursing. The knowledge of nursing and the theories of nursing evolve with time. The learning of nursing is a continuous process. Nursing as a profession started with Florence Nightingale, who cared for soldiers who got injured at the Crimean war. At the time when she did this, women did not work at public service or go to school (Alligood, 2014). It was then that Nightingale started a nursing school at St. Thomas Hospital that was based in London. It was then that nursing as a profession was birthed.
Nightingale’s literature guided other nursing schools in the early 20th century. The practice of nursing is more than a century old. In the mid 1800s, Nightingale declared the special aspect in nursing, one that is different from medical knowledge. She described nursing as the profession that involves putting sick people in the best condition for nature. He also said that taking care of a person involves understanding them and their surroundings.
The Development of Nursing Theories
Theory development in nursing has also evolved a great deal for the past six decades (Alligood, 2014). At that time, nursing was more of a vocational heritage than a professional vision. Over time, nursing has evolved to become an academic profession whereby the nurses are also involved in studies and research.
Nursing theories seek to describe the nursing phenomenon. The general systems theory describes the way that whole things are broken into parts and learning how such parts work together in systems. The adaptation theory explains the way that living matter adjusts to other living things and environmental conditions. The developmental theory describes the growth and development of human beings (Currentnursing.com, 2012).
Grand nursing theories were broad in scope and were not suitable for empirical testing. As more nurses sought higher education in nursing, they concentrated on research concerning nursing thus the mid-range nursing theories that were more advanced, narrower in scope and more abstract. They were more reliable that the grand theories, but not purely empirical. The nursing theory went through its major developments in the 1980’s whereby it transitioned into the paradigm period (Alligood, 2014). Nursing practice theories are the ones in use today. They have a limited level of abstraction and scope. They are designed for certain nursing situations whereby they are the most ...