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Isabel Hernandez.

Theory , Practice, and Research

The relationship between theory and practice has long been a concern in nurse education, with numerous research studies

pointing to discrepancies between theory and practice. (Hunt 1974) According to the text, there are two different types of

theories: commonsense theories and scientific theories. Commonsense theories comprise explanations that people invoke on a

daily basis to make sense of their lives. Definitions of scientific theories are much more elaborate, contain more clearly outlined

characteristics, and have better defined purposes when compared with definitions of commonsense theories. (Butts, Rich 2015)

A theory is a set of interrelated universal statements, some of which are definitions and some of which are

relationships assumed to be true, together with a syntax, a set of rules for manipulating the statements to arrive at new

statements. (Cohen, 1980 (Links to an external site.), p. 171) After reading the text , theory, practice, and research are very closely related. It takes a theory

to be able to practice and be able to research on it. The three of them go together and cannot do one without the other yet they

are each have fine differences. Theory should be viewed as a type of practice precisely because theorizing involves all of these

actions. It is important to keep this point in mind: Theory is practice. If practice is action or doing, then theory does quite a lot

more than might first be suspected. (Butts, Rich 2015)

In order to prove a theory, it needs to be put into practice and have enough research done on it. Although not spoken about as

much as theories, research is also a very important component of the process. Without developing proper research, there is no

way to prove a theory right or wrong. The sixth step in the process of translating theory into practical action involves evaluation

of the innovative action, which occurs after the innovation has been implemented in practice. Evaluation may be done by means

of a formal research project or through a quality improvement project. An example of a formal research project is the evaluation

of the Common Journey Breast Cancer Support Group sponsored by a small community hospital in a rural New England state

(Zeigler, Smith, & Fawcett, 2004 (Links to an external site.)).

References:

Hunt J. (1974) The Teaching and Practice of Surgical Dressings in Three Hospitals. Royal College of Nursing, London.

Butts, J. & Rich, K. (2015). Philosophies and Theories for Advanced Nursing Practice (3rd edition) Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning

Zeigler, L., Smith, P. A., & Fawcett, J. (2004). Breast cancer: Evaluation of the Common Journey Breast Cancer Support Group. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 13, 467–478.