Importance of Theory 1

Week 1 discussion Importance of Theory1 in Nursing For many students enrolled in NR501, this is an initial course for nursing theory. So, let’s have a debate. Is nursing theory important to the nursing profession? If you believe that it is important, explain why it is useful. If you do not believe that it is useful, explain why nursing theory is not necessary to the profession? Be sure to provide an example that demonstrates your opinion and a scholarly reference (not using the required textbook or lesson) which supports your opinion. Week 2 discussion Development of Nursing Knowledge Debate with classmates on the dominant philosophical schools of thought in nursing (received view and perceived view). Which worldview best encompasses the profession of nursing? Why? Provide an example. Week 3 discussion Steps of Concept Analysis At the end of Week 3 your concept analysis is due. This discussion provides an opportunity to start this assignment. Select a nursing concept, supported by a nursing theory, and address the following components included in a concept analysis:

Importance of Theory 1

Definition of concept Identification of three attributes of the concept Description of one antecedent and one consequence of the concept Identification of two empirical referents Brief explanation of theoretical applications of the concept (How is the concept relevant to a nursing theory?) This information does not have to be comprehensive but provides a foundation to the upcoming assignment. Be sure to include scholarly references. Week 4 discussion Nursing Theory Identify your specialty area of professional practice. Select a nursing theory from the list of specialty track specific theories provided in the lesson plan or one of your own findings. Address the following: (1) briefly identify concepts of the nursing metaparadigm (remember the selected theory may not include all four concepts); (2) provide an example how the theory could be used to improve or evaluate the quality of practice in your specific setting. Week 5 discussion Analysis and Application of a Nursing Model Select either the PCN Framework or the Chamberlain Care Model. Consider how the following components would be included in an analysis of the selected model: Origin of the model Meaning of the model Logical adequacy of the model Usefulness of the model Generalizability of the model Degree of parsimony within the model Testability of the model What rationale can you provide which validates the selected model as a theoretical framework for nursing practice? Be sure to include scholarly references to support your discussion. Week 6 discussion Borrowed (non-nursing) Theories Applied to the Profession While the focus of this course is nursing theory, frequently the use of non-nursing or borrowed theories occurs. Identify your future nursing practice area. Discuss how a specific non-nursing (borrowed) theory has been or could be applied by nurses (specific to practice focus) to effectively deal with an issue. Be sure to provide an example of how the non-nursing theory can be used to enhance the selected practice area. Remember to include scholarly reference(s) to support your information. Potential discussion topic focus areas: Nurse educator practice issues: student retention, faculty preparation, critical thinking skills. Nurse leaders or nurse managers – administrative issues: staffing, use of supplies, staff performance. Family nurse practitioner – clinical practice issues: chronic illness, aging population, social determinants of health. Healthcare policy practice issues – environmental health, healthy nurse initiative, childhood obesity. Nursing informatics practice issues – ergonomics, project management, staff development Week 7 discussion Nursing Theory Applied to Evidence Based Practice This week we are focusing on the application of nursing theories to evidence-based practice. In NR 500, you explored an area of interest related to your selected specialty track. You then identified an issue/concern related to that area of interest. For this discussion: select a nursing theory or model that can be used as a framework to support the resolution of your identified issue/concern. In

your initial response, address the following: How the selected nursing theory or model i

Importance of Theory 1

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS

Discussion Questions (DQ)

• Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words.
• Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source.
• One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words.
• I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses.

Weekly Participation

• Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately.
• In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies.
• Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work).
• Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week.

APA Format and Writing Quality

• Familiarize yourself with APA format and practice using it correctly. It is used for most writing assignments for your degree. Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for APA paper templates, citation examples, tips, etc. Points will be deducted for poor use of APA format or absence of APA format (if required).
• Cite all sources of information! When in doubt, cite the source. Paraphrasing also requires a citation.
• I highly recommend using the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition.

Use of Direct Quotes

• I discourage overutilization of direct quotes in DQs and assignments at the Masters’ level and deduct points accordingly.
• As Masters’ level students, it is important that you be able to critically analyze and interpret information from journal articles and other resources. Simply restating someone else’s words does not demonstrate an understanding of the content or critical analysis of the content.
• It is best to paraphrase content and cite your source.

 

LopesWrite Policy

• For assignments that need to be submitted to LopesWrite, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me.
• Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes.
• Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own?
• Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score.

Late Policy

• The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.
• Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.
• If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.
• I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.
• As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading.

Communication

• Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me: 
  • Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.
  • Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.