Theories are used for explanation purposes and nursing theories are no different. We can comfortably distinguish the difference between nursing and other professions. Due to its scientific background, people can learn everything related to healthcare. Nursing theories have been used to guide caregivers in the analysis and implementation of healthcare services.

Middle-range nursing theories come in handy when you are looking to specify the link between a theory and practice.  These theories can distinguish different situations when caring for a patient and provide useful solutions. There are 3 levels of nursing theories.

• Grand nursing theories – these theories work with complicated concepts. They offer basic information on nursing ideas about people, diet, and health. Most theories are created from the nurse’s experiences.
• Middle-range theories –these theories work with specific nursing concepts rather than the whole nursing profession. These theories are created from research, practice, or other close professions.
• Practice-level theories – these theories are narrowed down to specific patient issues. Unlike the other theories, their point of view is specified.

This article will teach you the importance and characteristics of middle-range nursing theory and how to write your research paper.

What is a middle-range nursing theory?

We can define middle-range theory in nursing as ideas linked together by a common factor working towards the same goal in nursing. The ideas consist of various solutions that can be implemented to solve a problem. Middle-range theories are used by nursing practitioners to guide them in their everyday nursing activities and are developed from a combination of research and practice.

Middle-range nursing theories arise when information on various symptoms is analyzed. The theory is used to learn how symptoms manifest in different diseases and come up with possible solutions for a cure and prevention measures. This theory focuses on making sure patients are well taken care of.

Types of Middle-range theories

1. Middle-range descriptive theories

These descriptive theories are the basic part of middle-range theories and are used to identify and classify a phenomenon at a time. Its description involves finding out the common characteristics noted in groups, events, or individuals.

This phenomenon can either be hierarchical, sequential dimension, overlapping, or mutually exclusive. From its definition, middle-range theories are taxonomies and typologies. Quantitative and qualitative research methods are used in the generation and testing of middle-range theories.

2. Middle-range explanatory theories

They are used to uncover specific combining factors between two or more concepts. They talk about how these concepts and relationships are formed and how they work. Correlational research is the only way explanatory theories are created and analyzed in a quantitative design.

3. Middle–range predictive theories

These theories explain the relation of a concept with another majoring on the effect present. They can be tested for quantitative and qualitative qualities. The relation in the phenomenon is paramount in this section of theories.

Uses of middle-range nursing theory

1. They put their attention on certain phenomena in nursing and focus on providing solutions to the clinical concepts.
2. These theories are part of the nursing profession. They contribute by working on the healthcare process through research and analysis of specific health issues. Middle-range nursing theories play a big role in the growth and development of nursing as a profession.
3. Middle-range theories are created by conducting extensive research and then practicing what you see. These theories develop over time and nurses can use them to come up with better guidelines. Middle-range theories contribute to the creation of new theories. Nurses can build research from the theories and then put them into action which builds nursing as a discipline.
4. We can see nursing development not to mention the growth and availability of information. Nurses from different disciplines can be able to acquire enough knowledge on phenomena that are concerning to all parties involved.
5. New nurses can be able to get support from the theories in their practices by acquiring knowledge of the discipline.
6. Patients can acquire the best health care since the theories provide options that propose the best intervention in helping the patient become better.

Grand theory vs middle-range theory nursing

These two theories are very important in nursing as a discipline. Their theorists are Dorothea Orem and Nola Pender respectively. Nurses have used these theories over the years to help them come up with the best healthcare approach for their patients.

Grand theories focus more on patients taking good care of their health to stay out of hospitals. Middle-range theory on the other emphasizes health care importance and the role patients should play in ensuring their health issues are under control. Below the two theories have been compared to determine their roles in day-to-day health care.

Middle-range theories

1. These theories focus more on the context
2. These theories are derived from observations or tests conducted.
3. They can easily end up being proven as false and can lead to some unfortunate results
4. They can be told apart from other theories by specialization but can work together
5. The truth in the theories can be proven by scope precision and other tools
6. These theories need a lot of background information before they are created and end up teaching their researchers more than they knew
7. As much as they require data existing ideas and thoughts lead to generalization

Grand theories

1. These theories do not focus on something specific and deal with everything all round
2. They are created from statements that have been verified as true
3. These theories have been tested to be true and have not failed any tests
4. They can be told apart by their difference in philosophy and cannot work together
5. They are legitimate and do not require any tests to prove
6. These theories are created from discussions, geniuses, or theorists
7. No data is required for the theories to be developed because they come up from induction

Characteristics of middle-range theories nursing

1. Specific

Middle-range nursing theories are very specific. They are all about nursing and do not venture into other disciplines.

2. Focus on patients

Middle-range theories are mainly dedicated to making health care better. They look into patients and their health issues. They do research and come up with solutions to the problems.

3. Testable

The application of these theories needs to be easy. Nurses should be able to learn more about phenomena and understand how to intervene. They are straightforward to analyze and require little amount of data.

Middle-range nursing theory and staffing

Theories have been known to develop a discipline and help in knowledge growth. Middle-range theories have been known to assist patients in getting the best healthcare services by offering nurses enough knowledge in their practice. These theories are used in various areas like informatics and leadership. Below we learn how they help solve staffing problems.

Staffing is a big problem in hospitals because it affects leadership and administration. When staffing problems arise it becomes difficult for the hospital to offer quality health care services. Whether it is the lack of enough staff or the availability of more than enough staff both need immediate solutions.

Patients are not satisfied when the hospital lacks enough nurses to deliver. Nurses become overworked and lack motivation and are not able to interact with their patients well. Jean Watson’s theory of human caring has been successful in providing successful intervention. The application of this theory has improved how healthcare delivery and nurses are treated better.

In cases of high staffing and large numbers of patients use the Caritas procedure. Management will be forced to come up with solutions that help improve nursing practices in the hospital. For instance, cutting down on working hours, free psychiatrist visits for the nurses, and offering relaxation activities where nurses can unwind.

These rules can be best implemented if the leaders engage in them as role models. It will be easier for the nurses to embrace the changes. The human caring theory helps nurses and the management work together to ensure patients receive the best care. Nurses are also able to relax and feel understood, loved, and cared for and can deliver.

There have been a lot of unsuccessful solutions to the staffing problem like the use of money to enlist and retain staff. These funds could prove useful if directed to other problems that require financial solutions. Staffing can be solved using solutions from these middle-range theories to ensure the caring aspect is at its peak in nursing practice.

In conclusion

Middle-range nursing theory is common in the nursing discipline and has been implemented in various situations over the years. It emphasizes patients receiving quality health care and assists nurses in acquiring enough knowledge about nursing in their practice. Middle-range nursing theories should continue being developed to ensure nursing as a discipline continues to grow.

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