The development of nursing knowledge is an ongoing process

knowledge from that of medicine or social work, providing nurses with an essential professional identity and scope of practice. For example, they frame the goal of nursing not merely as curing disease, but as promoting adaptation (Roy) or fostering self-care ability (Orem).

Provides a Global Framework for Practice: They offer a holistic worldview that guides nurses in comprehensive patient care, moving beyond task-oriented procedures. A grand theory ensures that a nurse considers the patient's entire context—psychological, social, and spiritual—regardless of the clinical setting.

Generates Mid-Range Theories: Grand theories serve as the conceptual wellspring from which testable, specific mid-range theories are logically derived. The abstract concepts within a grand theory must be refined and operationalized before they can be tested; the derivation of a more focused theory is essential for this work. Without the grand, overarching framework, the development of linked, systematic mid-range theories would become fragmented.

Guides Curriculum and Research: They provide the philosophical foundation for nursing education curricula, ensuring students are taught to think holistically and conceptually. In research, they provide a conceptual model that dictates which variables are relevant and how they should be studied, ensuring the research question remains grounded in nursing science.

Sample Answer

The Debate: Grand Nursing Theories in Modern Practice

The ongoing development and use of grand nursing theories—broad, abstract conceptual frameworks that attempt to describe the discipline of nursing in its entirety—is a subject of continuous debate within the profession. While they offer a holistic foundation for the discipline, their abstract nature presents significant challenges in today's rapid, evidence-driven healthcare environment.

✅ Case for the Ongoing Development and Use

Grand theories remain relevant and valuable because they provide a necessary philosophical and structural backbone for nursing as an academic discipline.

Defines the Discipline and Professional Identity: Grand theories (e.g., King's, Orem's, Watson's) clearly define the four metaparadigm concepts (Person, Environment, Health, and Nursing) from a unique nursing perspective. This articulation distinguishes nursing knowledge from that of medicine or social work, providing nurses with an essential professional identity and scope of practice. For example, they frame the goal of nursing not merely as curing disease, but as promoting adaptation (Roy) or fostering self-care ability (Orem).