Application of Theory to Nursing Practice
Theresa Corbo
Application to Your Current Practice
Pender (2011) states that the purpose of her Health Promotion Model is to “Assist nurses in understanding the major determinants of health behaviors as a basis for behavioral counseling to promote healthy lifestyles.” Without knowing it, I have incorporated Pender’s Health Promotion Model into my new patient teaching. One of Pender’s assumptions in her model is that nurses can exert an influence on patients that can last throughout their lives. Recently, I have added a section on exercise and cancer survival to my new patient teaching session. I have added this information in response to several articles I have read lately about cancer survivorship. The National Cancer Institute (2009) reports that “Women who exercised moderately after diagnosis of breast cancer had improved survival rates compared to sedentary women”. Adding this information was my attempt to include evidence based practice into my teaching. Penz and Bassendowski (2006) wrote that “By filling the gap between theory, research, and practice, evidence-based nursing strives for improved patient outcomes.” Penz and Bassendowski (2006) go on to say that evidence based practice is derived from research based on theoretical models. Without realizing it, theory has crept into my practice. “When nursing theory is used to guide clinical thinking and decision making, nurses can understand what they do and why, and they are able to clarify this for other health professionals” (Penz & Bassendowski, 2006).
Pender uses an example in her Manual of a Clinical Assessment for Health Promotion Plan: Increasing Physical Activity that I could incorporate into my practice. The plan asks questions about prior behavior, personal influences, interpersonal influences, social support, role models, situational influences, commitment to a plan of action and follows up questions regarding competing demands and preferences. I realize looking though the questions that I already cover some of the topics already and it wouldn’t be difficult to adjust my teaching to follow the plan.
I have noticed recently that some of my patients are actually following my advice about exercise since I’ve added the information on survivorship benefits. Pender states that patients are more likely to commit to a change in behavior if they anticipate a positive outcome that they personally value.
Anticipated Practice as a Masters Prepared Nurse
As a masters prepared nurse, I plan to be more aware of how theory can shape and enhance my practice. My attempt to incorporate evidence based practice into my teaching was actually a bridge to incorporating theory into my practice, not that I recognized it at the time. Advancing my nursing education makes me more aware of how theory shapes our everyday practice. Researching Pender’s Health Promotion Model made me aware of the theory behind my action. Penz and Bassendowski (2006) wrote“…theory-guided, evidence-based nursing gives a unique identity to nurses and encourages them to define themselves by what they know rather than by nursing tasks.” Pulcini (2013) defines advanced practice nursing as “the application of an expanded range of practical, theoretical and research based competencies” I believe as a masters prepared nurse, I will have the knowledge to choose the appropriate theory for the patient situation instead of blindly stumbling across it.
Theresa Corbo
Application to Your Current Practice
Pender (2011) states that the purpose of her Health Promotion Model is to “Assist nurses in understanding the major determinants of health behaviors as a basis for behavioral counseling to promote healthy lifestyles.” Without knowing it, I have incorporated Pender’s Health Promotion Model into my new patient teaching. One of Pender’s assumptions in her model is that nurses can exert an influence on patients that can last throughout their lives. Recently, I have added a section on exercise and cancer survival to my new patient teaching session. I have added this information in response to several articles I have read lately about cancer survivorship. The National Cancer Institute (2009) reports that “Women who exercised moderately after diagnosis of breast cancer had improved survival rates compared to sedentary women”. Adding this information was my attempt to include evidence based practice into my teaching. Penz and Bassendowski (2006) wrote that “By filling the gap between theory, research, and practice, evidence-based nursing strives for improved patient outcomes.” Penz and Bassendowski (2006) go on to say that evidence based practice is derived from research based on theoretical models. Without realizing it, theory has crept into my practice. “When nursing theory is used to guide clinical thinking and decision making, nurses can understand what they do and why, and they are able to clarify this for other health professionals” (Penz & Bassendowski, 2006).
Pender uses an example in her Manual of a Clinical Assessment for Health Promotion Plan: Increasing Physical Activity that I could incorporate into my practice. The plan asks questions about prior behavior, personal influences, interpersonal influences, social support, role models, situational influences, commitment to a plan of action and follows up questions regarding competing demands and preferences. I realize looking though the questions that I already cover some of the topics already and it wouldn’t be difficult to adjust my teaching to follow the plan.
I have noticed recently that some of my patients are actually following my advice about exercise since I’ve added the information on survivorship benefits. Pender states that patients are more likely to commit to a change in behavior if they anticipate a positive outcome that they personally value.
Anticipated Practice as a Masters Prepared Nurse
As a masters prepared nurse, I plan to be more aware of how theory can shape and enhance my practice. My attempt to incorporate evidence based practice into my teaching was actually a bridge to incorporating theory into my practice, not that I recognized it at the time. Advancing my nursing education makes me more aware of how theory shapes our everyday practice. Researching Pender’s Health Promotion Model made me aware of the theory behind my action. Penz and Bassendowski (2006) wrote“…theory-guided, evidence-based nursing gives a unique identity to nurses and encourages them to define themselves by what they know rather than by nursing tasks.” Pulcini (2013) defines advanced practice nursing as “the application of an expanded range of practical, theoretical and research based competencies” I believe as a masters prepared nurse, I will have the knowledge to choose the appropriate theory for the patient situation instead of blindly stumbling across it.