Philosophies and Theories for Advanced Nursing Practice
Framework, model, theory, and philosophy all have different meanings by definition, but all of these concepts come together, and they are interconnected. By definition, a framework is an overview or plan that gives the skeleton of items that support a given approach that aims to achieve a particular objective. The frame is the most fundamental part of a concept, and the addition or removal of items can modify it. It is a framework that leads to theory and model building, but it does not give any concrete explanation about the pending phenomenon. On the contrary, a model provides a simplification of the objective at hand; it gives a representation of reality that is expected if a particular event takes place. A Model is more like a theory, but they differ because they offer a shallow explanation with more details in the description.
Theory, on the other hand, is a coherent proposition that is used as a principle to explain a phenomenon. The proposal is derived from the model, and the theory aims to solve a given event. A theory is formulated to challenge existing information about a concept and help eliminate formulated assumptions. Meanwhile, Philosophy is defined as attempts to search for what is real and authentic. Nursing philosophy, therefore, tries to examine, find out, and explain the relationship between the truth and principles applied in Nursing.
Nursing philosophy and theory are similar because they all act as a guide in practice. However, the philosophy and theory differ because the guidance given is not leading towards a common objective. Another difference is that; a theory is based on assumptions that need research and approval before they are put into practice. The philosophy only works to guide each practicing nurse at an individual level. From the definitions of each concept, it is clear that they are all different. They are all applied in an interconnected way to explain nursing knowledge that guides nursing scholars and practitioners.