Despite the fact that nursing as a profession has been going on for centuries, a lot of effort is being constantly put into improving the profession. An integral aspect of improving the process of nursing and its outcomes is the research process. Scientific research, however, cannot be broad and indefinite as this would compromise or water down the results. In order to narrow down research and make its results more definitive, nursing theories and models are used. Among the common classes of the nursing theory are the grand theories, the intermediate theories and finally, the nursing practice theories. The essay shall canvass the grand theories and the intermediate theories with a focus on the exponential contributions that these theories make in nursing research. Orlando’s Nursing Process Theory will represent grand theories even as Peplau's Theory of Interpersonal Relations represents intermediate theories. Grand theories and intermediate theories both provide the basis for research hypotheses that are then tested during the process of nursing research.
Nursing Process Theory - Ida Jean Orlando
The nursing process theory, as developed by Ida Orlando, was utilized in the process of the primary research reported in Yekefallah et al., (2017). By definition, the nursing process theory provides that nurses should assess the anxiety needs of the patient, based on patient behavior so as to come up with how to assist the patient. As such, there is no actual blueprint for responding to patient behavior hence, nurses need to use their instincts and sense of perception. The primary research reported in Yekefallah et al. (2017) was meant to evaluate patient anxiety during an endoscopy. As an endoscopy entails placing a tube with a camera down the alimentary canal of the patient, propensity for anxiety is very high. The study group was exposed to assistance as under the nursing process theory while the control group was not. Based on the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, it was evident that the study group was exponentially less anxious than the control group. The results thus confirmed the efficacy of nursing process theory in patient anxiety mitigation.
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Theory of Interpersonal Relations - Hildegard E. Peplau
The theory of interpersonal relations, as developed by Hildegard Peplau, was applied in the research process published in Hagerty et al. (2017). The theory provides that interpersonal competency is integral for the professional competence of nurses. For a nurse of practice effectively, the ability to connect with the patient as a human is fundamental. Hagerty et al., (2017) reports on a study that evaluated the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) with a view to testing for patient satisfaction. Further, the research process sought to understand the basis for the said patient satisfaction or the lack thereof, using the theory of interpersonal relations. The sample included over 15 thousand patients who spend in the very least one overnight stay in a hospital. Specifically, the study tested for the relationship between the focus theory herein and patient satisfaction for the sample group. Based on the research results and discussion, a clear correlation existed between patient satisfaction the existence of sound interpersonal relationships between patients and nurses. The results thus confirm the utility of the theory of interpersonal relations in ensuring patient satisfaction in a hospital.
Discussion: Utility of Nursing Theory to Research
It is evident from the two examples above that nursing theories play a crucial role in nursing research, and also that grand theory and intermediate theories differ in the roles that they play in research. Grand theories are, as suggested by the name, general in nature and difficult to assess scientifically in great detail. On the other hand, intermediate theories are, when compared to grand theories quite elaborate and can be tested in their totality through a scientific process. As reflected in the research processes above, both theories provide a hypothesis that operates as a foundation for the research process. In the grand theory example, the research process seeks to determine whether or not the phenomenon presented by the theory plays a positive role in patient outcomes. However, the intermediate theory is not only more elaborate but more practical hence the second research process not only tests if the phenomenon being tested plays a role in patient outcomes but also what role it plays and how it plays it. The best way to understand the role played by nursing theories in research is to imagine the research processes outlined above in the absence of nursing theories. The researchers would have to develop a research process based on such a general hypothesis that the scope of the research would too wide. Too many assumptions would need to be made, leading to watered-down research findings.
Conclusion
As is evident from the totality of the above, grand theories and intermediate theories both provide the basis for research hypotheses that are then tested during the process of nursing research. It is important to note that many other different theories address different aspects of nursing practice. Each of these theories can be reduced into a hypothesis, as evidenced by the examples above. The hypothesis then makes the developed of simpler and more effective research processes for the improvement of nursing practice. However, the more detailed intermediate theories enable more particularized hence more effective research processes than the more generalized grand theories. Nursing theories may have been developed for use in practice, not research, but their contribution to nursing research is nonetheless invaluable.
References
Hagerty, T. A., Samuels, W., Norcini-Pala, A., & Gigliotti, E. (2017). Peplau’s Theory of Interpersonal Relations: An Alternate Factor Structure for Patient Experience Data?. Nursing science quarterly , 30 (2), 160-167.
Yekefallah, L., Ashktorab, T., Ghorbani, A., Pazokian, M., Azimian, J., & Samimi, R. (2017). Orlando’s nursing process application on anxiety levels of patients undergoing endoscopy examination. International Journal of Epidemiologic Research , 4 (1), 53-60.
