




 concepts definitions relationships

assumptions
phenomenon (Potter – Perry)
 An organized system of accepted knowledge that is
composed of concepts, propositions and assumptions
intended to explain a set of fact, event or phenomena.
 A creative and rigorous structuring of ideas that projects
a tentative, purposeful and systemic view of
phenomena. (Chinn and Kramer, 1991)
 An organized, coherent & systematic articulation of a
set of statements related to significant questions in a
discipline that are communicated in a meaningful whole
… discovered or invented for describing, predicting or
prescribing events or relationships (Meleis, 2007, p37).
 CONCEPTS
PROPOSITIONS
ASSUMPTIONS
DEFINITIONS

Systematically
organize

THEORY

VIEW

PHENOMENON
 Assumptions
or
Propositions

Phenomenon

Concepts Definitions
• Building blocks of theories which can
either be an empirical or abstract data.
• An idea formulated by the mind or an
experience perceived and observed
such as justice, love, war, and disease.
• Are words or phrases that are used to
represent the phenomenon observed or
experienced. It is a mental construct.
• Describes a phenomenon or a group of
phenomenon (Meleis, 2007).
  

• Described according to how • Based on how these concepts

these concepts are defined in are used or will be used
the dictionary. within the context of the
• Example: Temperature – It is phenomenon being observed
the homeothermic range of a or experienced.
person’s internal environment • Example: Temperature – It is
maintained by the the degree of temperature
thermoregulatory system of the measured by the oral
human body. thermometer taken for one
minute under the tongue.
► ABSTRACT ► CONCRETE
• Indirectly observed or • Directly observed or
intangible. tangible.
• It is independent of time • Relate more to a specific
and place. time or place.
• Example: love, care and • Example: nurse, mother
freedom or pain
• Explains the relationships of
different concepts.
• Example: Children who do
not want to stay in the
hospital because of their fear
of injections.
• Composed of various descriptions which convey a
general meaning and reduces the vagueness in
understanding a set of concepts.
• Example: Definition of Nursing formulated by Peplau.
• A statement that specifies the
relationship or connection of factual
concepts or phenomena.
• Statements that the theorists hold as
factual.
• Example: All patients who are not able
to take good care of themselves need
nurses.
• Educated guesses.
• A tentative explanation for an observation,
phenomenon or scientific problem that can
be tested by further investigation.
• A testable relationship statement.
• A highly established set of concepts that are testable.
• Represents an equation that describes the path or
explains the phenomenon being observed or
experienced.
• It is typically accompanied by a pictorial
representation of these variables and their
interrelationships.
• Occurrence or circumstance that is observed, something that
impresses the observer as an extraordinary or a thing that
appears to and is constructed by the mind.
• Observable fact that can be perceived through the senses and
explained.
• An empirical data that can be observed.
• It is concerned with how an individual person reacts using the
human senses concerning their surrounding and assessing the
different behaviors and factors that affect such behaviors.
• In nursing, phenomena can be:
a) Clinical or environmental setting of nursing
b) Disease process
c) Client’s behavior
d) Interventions
e) Practices that are utilized in nursing theories and
metaparadigm
 Refers to the body of knowledge that is used to support
and maintain the practice of nursing. (Bautista, J.)
 Conceptualization of some aspects of nursing
communicated for the purpose of describing,
explaining, predicting or prescribing nursing care.
(Potter – Perry)
 A group of interrelated concepts that are developed
from various studies of discipline and related
experiences. This aims to view the essence of nursing
care.
 An articulated and communicated conceptualization of
invented or discovered reality in or pertaining to
nursing for the purpose of describing, explaining,
predicting or prescribing nursing care. (Meleis, p41)

Describes
Explains NURSING
THEORY Predicts CARE
Prescribess
 A completenursing theory is one that has context,
content and process. (Barnum, 1994)

a) Context – resembles environment to which nursing

act takes place.
b) Content – subject of the theory.
c) Process – method by which nurses act in using
nursing theory.
 Are patterns or models used to show a clear
relationship among the existing theoretical
works in nursing.

NURSING

PERSON HEALTH ENVIRONMENT

 Metaparadigm, came from the word “meta”, a Greek
word which means “with” and “paradigm” which means
“pattern”.
 Nursing metaparadigm, embodies the knowledge base,
theory, philosophy, research, practice and educational
experience and literature identified with the profession.
 PERSON
The recipient of nursing care like
individuals, families and communities.
Refers to direct receivers of care.

ENVIRONMENT
The external and internal aspects of
life that influence the person.
Pertains to the sum of everything
outside the person.
 HEALTH
• The holistic level of wellness
that the person experiences.
• state of complete physical,
mental, emotional, social and
spiritual well being and not
necessarily the absence of
disease or infirmity.” (World
Health Organization)
 NURSING
• The interventions of the nurse rendering care in support of or
in cooperation with the client.
• As an ART, it involves the use of compassionate caring,
conscientious competence and confidence. It also involves the
art of serving, nurturing, and caring for everyone who needs
it.
• As a SCIENCE, it is governed by laws and theories that have
been scientifically proven to be relevant to the performance
of nursing roles.
 Comes from the greek word
“philisopia” which means love of
knowledge or love of wisdom.
 The study of the most general
and abstract features of the world
and categories with which we
think: mind, matter, reason, proof,
truth, etc.
 Are representations of an idea or body of knowledge
based on the own understanding or perception of a
person or researcher on a certain topic, phenomena or
theory.
 Also called paradigms or frameworks. It is a set of
concepts and statements that integrate the concepts into a
meaningful configuration.
 They can be represented thru a diagram or in narrative
form which shows how concepts are interrelated.
 PERSON

Physical Fitness
Exercise

Lowered Blood
Pressure
 Comes from the Latin word
“scientia” meaning “knowledge”.
 Knowledge attained through
study or practice.
 A system of acquiring knowledge
based on scientific method or
research.
 Use of systematic methods to
study a phenomenon and
create a general knowledge.
(Powers and Knapp)
 SCIENCE =
RESEARCH + THEORY
 A type of reasoning that
uses specific details to
form a general
conclusion.
 A type of reasoning
wherein general
conclusions are made
based from specific
concepts.
 Branch of inquiry that is
concerned with the theory
of knowledge or how
knowledge came to be.
 A statement of fact
that aims to explain, in
brief and simple terms,
an action or set of
actions.
 Itis generally accepted
to be true and
universal.
1. Theories can correlate concepts in such a way as
to generate a different way of looking at a certain
fact or phenomenon.
2. Theories must be logical in nature.
3. Theories should be simple but generally broad in
nature.
4. Theories can be the source of hypothesis that can
be tested for it to be elaborated.
5. Theories contribute in enriching the general
body of knowledge through the studies
implemented to validate them.
6. Theories can be used by practitioners to
direct and enhance their practice.
7. Theories must be consistent with other
validated theories, laws, and principles but will
leave open unanswered issues that need to
be tested.
1. Provides a general focus
for curriculum design.
2. Guide curricular decision
making.
1. Offer a framework for generating
knowledge and new ideas.
2. Assist in discovering knowledge gaps
in specific field of study.
3. Offer a systematic approach to
identify questions for study, select
variables, interpret findings and
validate nursing interventions.
1. Assist nurse to describe, explain and predict everyday
experiences.
2. Serve to guide assessment, intervention and evaluation
of nursing care.
3. Provide a rationale for collecting reliable and valid data
about the health status of clients, which
are essential for effective decision making
and implementation.
4. Help establish a criteria to measure the quality of
nursing care.
5. Help build a common terminology to use in
communicating with other health professionals.
Ideas are developed and words defined.
6. Enhance autonomy of
nursing by defining its own
independent functions.
 Information, skills and experience
acquired by a person through various life
experiences or formal/informal learning.
 The abstract or workable understanding of a
subject or idea.
 What is known in a particular field or discipline
or study.
 Facts and information or awareness or
familiarity gained by experience of a fact or
situation.
 PERCEPTION

ASSOCIATION LEARNING

REASONING COMMUNICATION
1. PERCEPTION – achieving understanding of sensory idea.
2. ASSOCIATION – combining two or more concepts/ideas to
form a new concept, or for comparison.
3. LEARNING – acquiring experience, skills, information and
values.
4. REASONING – mental process of seeking conclusions through
reason.
5. COMMUNICATION – transferring data from sender to receiver
using different mediums or tools of communication
 SCIENTIFIC

TRADITIONAL AUTHORITATIVE

SOURCES OF
KNOWLEDGE
 Nursing practice which
is passed down from
generation to
generation.
 “It has always been
this way.”
 An idea by a
person of authority
which is perceived
as true because of
his or her
expertise.
 Type of knowledge which
came from a scientific
method through research.
 These new ideas are
tested and measured
systematically using
objective criteria.
 Types of
Knowledge ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
• Traditional & • Practical to • Based on subjective data
Authoritative implement • Limited use in a variety of practice
setting
• In nursing practice, scientific
knowledge through evidence-
based practice and research
serves as the main focus

• Scientific • Systematic and • Requires time and effort to

accurate produce credible results
• Theories it creates
are less subjective
than knowledge
gained by other
methods
Nurse’s Notes:

The benefits of having a defined body of knowledge include:

improved patient care, enhanced professional status,
improved communication between nurse professionals, and
guide for research and education!
Nurse’s Notes:

As a nurse grows &

matures in their
professional status,
the use of ample
knowledge as a basis
for theory-based
nursing is a
characteristic of their
practice!
 Nurse’s Notes

Nursing Theory & the Nurse Practitioner

Theory helps the nurse to:
• Organize, examine & analyze patient’s data
• Make decisions about effective & efficient nursing
interventions.
• Make a S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable,
Reaslistic & Time-bounded) plan of care.
• Predict & evaluate outcomes of care.
References:
 Udan, Josie Q. (2020). Theoretical Foundation in Nursing 2nd
Edition. Manila: APD Educational Publishing House.
 Sitzman, Kathleen & Eichelberger, Lisa Wright (2017).
Understanding the Work of Nurse Theorists: A Creative Beginning.
Jones & Bartlett Learning, Burlington, MA.
 Bautista, Joy (2009). Theoretical Foundations of Nursing: A
Beginner’s Journey into Professional Nursing 1st Edition. Manila:
Educational Publishing House, Inc.
 Octaviano, Eufemia F. & Ballita, Carl E. (2008). Theoretical
Foundations of Nursing: The Philippine Perspective. Manila:
Balikatan Publishing House.