Chapter 05: Theories and Frameworks for Professional Nursing Practice

Chapter 05: Theories and Frameworks for Professional Nursing Practice

 

Complete Chapter Questions With Answers

 

Sample Questions Are Posted Below

 

MULTIPLE CHOICE

 

1. A nursing student is explaining to his or her family that nursing differs from medicine primarily in that nursing

a.	does not consider the patient’s environment.
b.	is concerned with the wholeness of human beings.
c.	primarily involves following doctors’ orders.
d.	revolves completely around systems theory.

 

 

ANS:  B

Whereas medicine focuses on the identification and treatment of disease, nursing focuses on the wholeness of human beings.

All nursing theories conceptualize environment as a core concept, whether stated or implied.

Although following physician-prescribed treatments is a component of nursing, nurses can also create their own care plans using both independent and dependent nursing activities.

Systems theory is a part of many nursing theories but not all.

 

DIF:    Cognitive Level: Understand            REF:   71

TOP:   Integrated Process: Teaching/Learning                              MSC:  NCLEX Client Needs: N/A

 

2. A nursing educator summarizes the role of nursing theory across the domains of nursing practice, education, and research by pointing out that in all three areas, theory

a.	assists nurses to view patients and information in a uniform way.
b.	is useful for prediction but not for driving nursing activities.
c.	rigidly structures data collection and protocol implementation.
d.	serves to organize information in a meaningful, useful manner.

 

 

ANS:  D

Across all three domains of nursing (education, practice, and research), theory remains a tool that serves to make meaningful connections among various bits of information collected. Theories and frameworks provide direction and guidance for structuring professional nursing practice, education, and research. This meaning then guides nursing action. Theory can guide data collection and implementation of nursing activities, but all situations need to be seen in their holistic and individualized entireties.

Theory should drive nursing actions, just as nursing action should inform theory.

Theories are not meant to be rigid and unyielding; in fact, theories help explain variations in patient situations, guide holistic nursing education, and can help formulate questions for research.

 

DIF:    Cognitive Level: Analyze                TOP:   Integrated Process: Teaching/Learning

MSC:  NCLEX Client Needs: N/A

 

3. A word or phrase used to convey the main thoughts in ideas, observations, and experiences is called a

a.	concept.
b.	construct.
c.	proposition.
d.	theory.

 

 

ANS:  A

According to Fawcett (2005), a concept is “a word or phrase that summarizes ideas, observations, and experiences” (p. 4). The concept is the basic building block of a theory.

A construct is a working hypothesis or idea that is part of a bigger whole.

A proposition is another name for theoretical statements.

A theory is a statement or group of statements that describe, explain, or predict relationships among concepts.

 

DIF:    Cognitive Level: Remember            REF:   71

TOP:   Integrated Process: Teaching/Learning                              MSC:  NCLEX Client Needs: N/A

 

4. A nurse works in the intensive care unit (ICU) and is looking for an explanation of how patients and families experience weaning from ventilators. This nurse would find the most useful information by searching for an appropriate

a.	corollary theory.
b.	grand theory or framework.
c.	midrange theory.
d.	practice-level theory.

 

 

ANS:  D

A situation-specific theory seeks to explain and predict relationships among the core concepts for a specific patient population or nursing practice. In this case, ICU nursing and ventilated patients present situations best addressed by situation-specific theory. These are sometimes called practice-level theories.

A grand theory or framework is an overarching theory that explains the goals, purpose, and broad nature of nursing.

A midrange theory considers specific phenomena across nursing practice settings and nursing specialties.

“Corollary theory” is not a type of theory.

 

DIF:    Cognitive Level: Apply                   TOP:   Nursing Process: Implementation

MSC:  NCLEX Client Needs: N/A