Nursing theory can offer a framework that guides all areas of nursing — from education and practice to research and policy — helping nurses deliver thoughtful and evidence-based care.
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Approved and verified accurate by the associate dean of the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions on Jan. 6, 2025.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
As you begin your nursing journey, you’ve probably heard about nursing theory and the nursing theoretical framework that guides it. It may sound overwhelming, but this framework touches every part of nursing practice, from academics to clinical practice and research to legislation.
Let’s explore how these principles apply to all facets of nursing and some nursing theory examples as they relate to nursing practice.
Florence Nightingale is by far the most famous nursing theorist, but many other prolific nurses continue to build on her work to establish modern nursing with strong nursing theoretical frameworks to further support the nursing profession.
Jean Watson's Theory of Human Caring focuses on the humanistic aspects of nursing in combination with scientific knowledge.4 The theory emphasizes the relationship between the nurse and the patient, aiming for holistic care that nurtures the mind, body and soul. Watson's 10 components of caring theory center around creating a caring-healing environment that supports human dignity and promotes well-being.
1. Caring as the essence of nursing: Caring is central to nursing, not just an action but a moral ideal.
2. Transpersonal caring relationship: Nurse-patient relationships go beyond the physical level and include deeper emotional and spiritual connections
3. Caring moment: Caring occurs in the moment when the nurse and patient come together in a way that allows both to experience human connection.
4. Holistic approach: Watson advocates for caring for the whole person — mind, body and spirit
5. Caring consciousness: Nurses must be conscious and mindful of their caring practices, bringing intentionality to every interaction.
6. Promotion of health: Caring is key to healing and the promotion of health beyond the treatment of disease.
7. Human dignity: Every patient is treated with respect, recognizing their intrinsic worth and uniqueness.
8. Environment for healing: Nurses are responsible for creating a supportive and healing environment.
9. Integration of science and humanities: Watson's theory blends nursing science with ethical, philosophical and spiritual understanding.
10. Personal growth for nurses: Engaging in caring processes allows nurses to grow personally and professionally.
Patricia Benner's Novice to Expert Theory describes how nurses develop skills and understanding of patient care through experience over time, progressing from beginner to expert. You will likely encounter Benner’s theory of the novice nurse during your time as a nursing student. It emphasizes that clinical knowledge cannot be fully taught in the classroom but develops through practical situations and reflection.
1. Novice: Beginners with no experience rely on rules and guidelines to perform tasks.
2. Advanced beginner: Nurses have some experience and can recognize recurring situations but still need guidance.
3. Competent: After two to three years, nurses can plan and prioritize tasks more efficiently, managing patient care with greater consistency.
4. Proficient: Nurses can see situations holistically, anticipate patient needs and adapt their care based on experience.
5. Expert: With extensive experience, nurses exhibit an intuitive grasp of situations and make decisions effortlessly, often without needing to follow guidelines explicitly.
Nursing theory is a framework used to establish best practices and legal obligations for nursing practice.1 Rather than dictating how to be a nurse, this nursing theoretical framework helps guide practice, education and research so nurses can make the most evidence-based and informed decisions based on solid research and established practice standards.
Nursing theory dates back to the 19th century and the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale.2 She established a nursing theoretical framework to guide nurses with standardized methods and procedures to provide high-quality, safe and competent nursing care.
Understanding nursing theory and its core components is essential for providing a solid foundation in patient care, and guiding nurses in making evidence-based decisions. By integrating nursing theoretical frameworks into daily practice, nurses can improve patient outcomes, enhance communication, and ensure a more holistic approach to care. Nurses and students are encouraged to explore various nursing theories further, as doing so can enrich their professional growth and elevate the quality of care in both educational and clinical settings.
With Grand Canyon University's pre-licensure nursing program, you’ll fuse your clinicals experiences with nursing theory to master the nursing skills needed to provide clinically competent and evidenced-based care to the most vulnerable populations in your community.
Contact a university counselor at GCU to learn more about the pre-licensure nursing program and how the nursing theory will be applied in each setting. Fill out the form on this page to get started.
Nursing theory falls under three main categories — grand nursing theories, middle-range nursing theories and practice-level nursing theories. Each umbrella addresses these four components:
1. Person — the recipient of care (patients, individuals, families, communities)
2. Environment — external and internal surroundings affecting care
3. Health — the goal of nursing care, across the spectrum of wellness to illness
4. Nursing — the actions and processes used to provide care
When you zoom out, each of these components works together to shape nursing practice. Once a nursing theory has been established it often gets tested and researched further. One of the most important benefits of nursing theory in guiding nursing practice is that patients have better health outcomes when they receive evidence-based care.3 One comprehensive review confirmed that care driven by solid nursing theory results in a better quality of life, self-efficacy and self-care. It also reduced stress levels for patients with chronic, acute, cardiac and psychological illnesses.3
Additional benefits of applying strong nursing theory to practice are enhanced communication and a more holistic approach to patient care.
