Discussion Post : Non-Nursing Theory Impacting Healthcare Services
Discussion Posts 4 & 5
Discussion Post #4: Non-Nursing Theory Impacting Healthcare Services
As we have continued to explore in this course, nursing theories are a significant foundation in nursing practice, explaining why nurses do what they do. Chiu et al. (2022) note that theory is applied across nursing practice, research, and education. However, the healthcare field also borrows from other disciplines and employs their theories. For instance, general leadership theories are employed in healthcare institutions, which may have a direct or indirect impact on the healthcare services provided in that institution. This discussion explores a non-nursing theory that impacts healthcare services in my current workplace. Discussion Post : Non-Nursing Theory Impacting Healthcare Services
Systems theory is one of the non-nursing theories that I have seen impacting healthcare services in my workplace. Systems theory is mainly used in social work and project management fields to explain the interconnectedness and interrelations in an organization. According to Jason and Bobak (2022), systems theory stipulates that a society or organization is made up of different complex elements or entities (systems), which are interconnected and interrelated in that changes in one element significantly affect the others and the entire system.
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The systems theory affects healthcare services in my workplace since the institution is viewed as one system, and failures in one department impact the other. For example, shortcomings in the finance and billing department, such as slow processes, impact the services from other departments since all patients have to go through the finance department to get the other services. Another example is in patient flow management, whereby issues in the discharge planning processes affect other services, such as the availability of inpatient beds. Discussion Post : Non-Nursing Theory Impacting Healthcare Services
Systems theory emphasizes the importance of understanding and optimizing the interrelationships within the healthcare system to improve overall outcomes and efficiency. Challenges in one department may affect the others, hence affecting healthcare services in the entire organization, as seen in the examples above.
References
Chiu, P., Thorne, S., Schick-Makaroff, K., & Cummings, G. G. (2022). Theory utilization in applied qualitative nursing research. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 78(12), 4034–4041. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15456
Jason, L. A., & Bobak, T. (2022). Using Systems Theory to Improve Intervention Outcomes. Professional Psychology, Research and Practice, 53(4), 415–422. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000467
Discussion Post #5:
Importance of Nursing Theory to the Nursing Profession
Nursing theory is a fundamental foundation in the field. I see nursing theory as the roadmap to improving nursing practice by positively influencing the health and quality of life of the patients. Parreira et al. (2021) state that nursing theory allows nurses to articulate what they do for patients and why they do it, hence increasing confidence in their role. I perceive nursing theory as the directions given when visiting a new place. Considering there are various nursing theories guiding practice across the profession, they, therefore, shape how we assess, plan, and deliver care. Discussion Post : Non-Nursing Theory Impacting Healthcare Services
Additionally, nursing theory helps us comprehend the why behind our nursing actions. Therefore, it provides evidence-based grounding for most of the interventions we use in nursing, leading to evidence-based, more consistent, and effective outcomes. Nursing theorists used their nursing experiences and reliable studies, hence providing a well-established rationale for our current approaches to patient care. In addition, we can say that grounding our nursing practices to tested and approved theories enhances professionalism and shifts nursing from being task-oriented to being a professional field.
Furthermore, nursing theory significantly contributes to the development of the nursing curriculum to ensure that nurses understand the theoretical principles that underpin nursing practice. According to Paradis et al. (2020), nursing theory enables nurses to articulate their unique role in the care team since they have been prepared with profound theoretical principles of the discipline. Nursing theory, therefore, provides us with the knowledge needed to adapt to nursing situations, think critically, articulate our role, and make informed decisions. Discussion Post : Non-Nursing Theory Impacting Healthcare Services
Nursing theory is not just an academic concept. It is a vital practical tool that enriches all aspects of practice and is the backbone of our profession. Nursing theory enhances professionalism and guides nursing education and practice, influencing the health and quality of life of the patients and families we serve.
References
Paradis, E., Nimmon, L., Wondimagegn, D., & Whitehead, C. R. (2020). Critical Theory: Broadening Our Thinking to Explore the Structural Factors at Play in Health Professions Education. Academic Medicine: Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, 95(6), 842–845. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000003108
Parreira, P., Santos-Costa, P., Neri, M., Marques, A., Queirós, P., & Salgueiro-Oliveira, A. (2021). Work Methods for Nursing Care Delivery. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), 2088. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18042088 Discussion Post : Non-Nursing Theory Impacting Healthcare Services
