Posted: August 13th, 2024

Key Stages of Theory Development in Nursing

Key Stages of Theory Development in Nursing

A theory is a set of statements that try to explain, describe, predict and even at times prescribe a solution to a given phenomenon. Normally, the process of developing a theory is scientific in nature. This implies that one can only be able to develop a nursing theory after conducting sufficient empirical studies in this field. The evolution of nursing theories is crucial for advancing patient care and professional practice. Notably, there are five key stages of theory development in nursing. The first one is silent knowledge. In this stage, no deliberate attempt is made to come up with a theory. The data that is collected is limited to epidemiology. During this stage, nurses are content with adhering to what has been agreed as conventional nursing procedures in accordance with the available evidence. This foundational stage lays the groundwork for future theoretical development, as nurses begin to recognize patterns and challenges in their daily practice that may not be fully addressed by existing knowledge.

The second stage of development of theory in nursing is received knowledge. During this stage, knowledge is borrowed from other disciplines rather than nursing. It is clear by this stage, nurses and experts in this field that the available theories are insufficient to deal with a certain nursing phenomenon. This interdisciplinary approach allows nurses to expand their perspective and incorporate valuable insights from related fields. The integration of concepts from psychology, sociology, and biology, for example, enriches nursing practice and paves the way for more comprehensive theoretical frameworks tailored to the unique needs of the profession.

The third key stage when it comes to developing a nursing theory is subjective knowledge. During this stage of theory development nurses start to criticize theories that have been borrowed from other fields of study such as sociology and education. It is at this stage that nurses begin to make deliberate efforts towards developing theories that are specific to the field of nursing. The research attention is shifted to the nurse themselves and not the situations in which they operate or the clients that they have to take care of. This introspective phase marks a critical turning point in nursing theory development. By examining their own experiences, values, and intuitions, nurses begin to articulate unique perspectives that reflect the essence of nursing practice, leading to more authentic and profession-specific theoretical foundations.

The fourth stage of theory development in nursing is procedural knowledge. At this phase the attention is shifted towards the methods of generating nursing knowledge. The methodology is emphasized above all else. In other words, the validity and reliability of the generated nursing knowledge is judged by the reliability and the validity of the methods used. The manner in which the data is analyzed using different statistical procedures is scrutinized. This rigorous approach ensures that nursing theories are built on a solid scientific foundation. The focus on methodology also helps to establish nursing as a distinct scientific discipline, enhancing its credibility and influence in the broader healthcare community.

The final stage of developing a theory in nursing as identified by Kidd and Morrison in 1988 is constructed knowledge. At this stage of coming up with a theory in nursing, the existing empirical studies, the available literature on relevant theories, scholar’s intuition, and such like types of knowledge are combined into a coherent theory. These are therefore the basic stages of developing a theory according to these two scholars. This culminating stage represents the synthesis of all previous phases, resulting in comprehensive and innovative nursing theories. The constructed knowledge stage not only advances nursing practice but also contributes to the profession’s body of knowledge, influencing education, research, and policy-making in healthcare.

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