Theory Paper

For your paper you are to choose a nursing theory or a theory used in nursing. After you have described the theory you are to choose one of the concepts used by the theorist. For example if you chose Roy, you could use adaptation as your concept. Other examples of concepts from other theories: health, environment, coping, grief, alarm fatigue, medication errors.

This assignment is an exercise designed to explore the meaning of theory relevant to nursing.

First provide a summary of the theory.

Next describe the concept you chose and why (one paragraph)

Please note this is NOT a formal concept analysis paper. A formal concept analysis paper involves extensive literature review, follows steps in an established concept analysis/development approach, and requires qualitative analytic skills.

This assignment will include key components of a formal concept analysis paper which are “definitions of the concept,” “attributes (key characteristics or dimensions) of the concept” and “a model case used in a research study (an exemplar)”

Then, you will search literature by using the name of the concept or its synonyms to identify how the concept was used in the literature. Develop or adopt a definition that you feel most appropriately describe the concept.

List key characteristics (attributes) that define the concept. Use your definition, research and clinical articles and books, and your personal, clinical and theoretical experiences, to make the list of attributes complete. Then you may search additional literature to support the identified characteristics (attributes) of the concept. Each student should find at least 3 highly relevant scholarly articles that address the key characteristics of the concept. Summarize or synthesize the definition of the concept which may be derived from both dictionary and literature definitions.

Identify at least one research study that uses your theory. Describe and critique how they used the concept.

The suggested components of the paper are as follows. However, the actual sequence or organization of these components may vary according to your writing style or preference.

• Introduce the purpose of your paper, the theory, concept (phenomenon) of interest, and rationale for the selection (30%). Examples of the rational include
• Provide a definition for the concept, which reflects your evaluation, synthesis or summary of definitions from both dictionary (Use the Oxford English Dictionary only) and literature. (10%)
• Identify key aspects (i.e. key characteristics, dimensions, essence, or attributes) of the concept. All these key aspects should be reflected in your definition of the concept and can be drawn from literature, books, and clinical, personal and theoretical experiences. (30%)
• Describe 1-3 exemplars of the theory and concept used in a research study. (20%)
• Close with a summary which include implications for further development, formal inquiry, or application to clinical practice. Demonstrate appropriate professional writing, including APA style, grammar, and punctuation. (10%).

• the need to define, refine, explore, disambiguate or clarify the concept that describe the phenomenon of your interest, and
• the significance of the phenomenon to nursing (including nursing clinical practice, education, administration, and research etc.)

The paper should be no longer than 5 pages, excluding the references.