Essay on Importance of Nursing Theory

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Nursing Theory
Wendy Benson
Chamberlain College of Nursing
Theoretical Basis of Advanced Nursing
NR501
July 20, 2013

Nursing Theory
Nursing theories are the basic concepts that define nursing practice and provide the explanation to why nurses do what they do. Nurses are exposed to theories everyday in their practice. Did I give much thought to nursing theories prior to becoming a student? No, I did not. Of course I utilized them in my everyday nursing practice, but never put much thought in the theory itself. The concepts of Leininger’s theory of cultural diversity will be discussed in relation to how it impacts patient care. The key concepts of Leininger’s theory and their relationships with one another will be summarized …show more content…
When nurses have an understanding of a patient’s culture, more individualistic care can be provided. This particular theory is very important to me due to my coworker’s lack of appreciation for cultural diversity among our patients. When I advocate for my patient’s cultural or spiritual practices, I often cite this theorist.
Discussion
Nurse educators are often the initial point of contact that a nursing student has. Evidence shows that “education enhances the knowledge of health professionals” (Allen, 2010). Nurse educators should introduce cultural diversity in the classroom and then provide students an opportunity to work with different cultures during clinical practice.
During my original ADN program in 2000, cultural diversity was not a topic that was addressed. The clinical experience was done in a very small, rural hospital and there was no exposure to any diversity amongst patients. After relocating to a Magnet teaching facility in a large city, I quickly realized that my nursing skills did not meet standards to care for patients who were from other cultures. This caused great concern and I immediately researched and taught myself the importance of recognizing different cultures and the many different practices that certain cultures engage.
“Educators should adopt eclectic culturally congruent teaching–learning strategies supported by concepts and theories rather than the traditional rigid approach of memorizing facts in
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