Theory and Research
How the Concept of Theory, Research, and Practice Are Integrated
Theory, research and practice are integrated since each depends on the other. To begin with, nursing practice requires professionals in this field to apply specific skills and knowledge as they care for patients in a considerate, caring, effective and efficient way (Usama, 2018). One source of skills and knowledge nurses uses in their practice is produced through research findings. According to Matney, Avant, and Staggers (2016), nursing theory helps in the development of nursing knowledge and is a source of principles that guides how this profession is practiced. On the other hand, nursing practice forms the foundation of theory. The knowledge nurses gain while they care for their patients forms the foundation of future researches related to this field. For instance, nursing practice provides questions to be answered through research. At the same time, theory forms the foundation of nursing research. It guides the process of data, collection, and analysis. According to Usama (2018), theory, research and practice have a cyclical and reciprocal relationship. This means that the end of one marks the beginning of the other.
One Reason Why the Integration of Theory, Research and Practice Are Important to the Practice of Nursing
The integration of theory, research and practice form the foundation of evidence-based practice. According to Camargo, Iwamoto, Galvão, Pereira, Andrade, and Masso (2018), evidence-based practice (EBP) is a problem-solving tool for the delivery of healthcare services that utilize the existing knowledge on the field of nursing, which is obtained from well-delineated studies matched with patient preferences and values, to guide the way individuals in this profession serve their clients. Evidently, EBP incorporates the concepts of theory, research, and practice. EBP is realized through a process which starts with the clarification of clinical question and ends once the results of research undertakings are disseminated to relevant entities to form the foundation of nursing practice (Camargo et al., 2018). Nursing practice provides the clinical questions that are answered through research which is in turn guided by an appropriate theory. There are many advantages of the utilization of EBP, such as the proper utilization of available human and non-human resources as well as better patient outcomes.