INSTRUCTIONS
The purpose of nursing theory is to guide practice and research as the discipline of nursing evolves and expands. Because nursing is a practice discipline, theory is essential to advanced roles and to impact the nurse’s ability to understand why and how nursing happens.
In this Discussion Board,
- Debate why or why not the theory-practice gap in nursing exists. Choose a stance and support it with evidence-based content. In your replies to others, you may take an opposite opinion to enrich debate.
- Address how you can model ethical behaviors in practice and leadership roles utilizing the premise in a nursing theory you have studied.
Provide evidence based sources to support your stance.
ANSWER
The theory-practice gap in nursing exists because most nurses are not consistently taught how to apply theory in real patient care. In most cases, nursing education separates theory from clinical learning, which causes nurses to rely on task-based routines instead of understanding why they are doing what they do (McEwen & Wills, 2023). For example, many nurses follow checklists for wound care but will not consider the underlying theory that supports comfort, healing, and patient independence. According to … To access the full answer, use the purchase button below.