Theory Practice Gap

Theory Practice Gap

Shonna Dillman

Maryville University

Theory Practice Gap

To bridge the theory to nursing practice gap, one must understand first that theory provides legitimacy as a profession, the skill reflection must be learned to use theory in practice and nurses must take ownership of their language and practice. Nursing has a long history as a caring part of patient care; it must also advance itself as a medical profession through the use of theory (McCrae, 2011). Skills in nursing school and nursing practice must be aimed at viewing the bigger picture of nursing as a profession with a rich history of theory and models at the disposal of nursing for daily patient care in the practice area. The language and opinions of professional nurses must reflect a substantial understanding and practical use of theory in the clinical setting on a daily basis in the real world as well as in the book world of school (Sellman, 2010). The gap must be bridged early in the nursing students’ curriculum to promote change in this area for nursing to promote and achieve professionalism in the eyes of nursing as well as other medical professions.

The need to control one’s practice and be a profession lies in the fact that the profession itself must take action and control their journey (McCrae, 2011). Nurses must control their own destiny and assert their profession through the daily use of theory in the clinical area. As Rolfe (1993) pointed out, the view of book world versus real world nursing must end and theory must be included in everyday practice so that it is truly evidence based practice. Nurses themselves must take responsibility and use theory just as easily as the medical tasks they perform. Just as nurses write and change care...

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McCrae, N. (2012). Whither Nursing Models? The value of nursing theory in the context of evidence-based practice and multidisciplinary health care. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 68(1), 222-229. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2011.05821.x

Riksaasen-Hatlevik, I. K. (2012). The theory-practice relationship: Reflective skills and theoretical knowledge as key factors in bridging the gap between theory and practice in initial nursing education. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 68(4), 868-877. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2011.05789.x

Rolfe, G. (1993). Closing the theory-practice gap: A model of nursing praxis. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2, 173-177.

Sellman, D. (2010). Mind the gap: Philosophy, theory, and practice. Nursing Philosophy, 11, 85-87.