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resource reviews

Susan C. Haussler, EdD, RN


Associate Editor

Theory-Directed Nursing
Practice, 2nd ed.
by Shirley Melat Ziegler (Ed.); 2005;
New York; Springer Publishing Company; $41.95; 296 pages; softcover.

This book provides a variety of


theories from adjunctive and nursing
disciplines that can serve as a resource
for nurses and nursing students. It
is valuable for nurses using nursing
conceptual models and theories who
want to compare theories from other
disciplines with distinctive nursing
knowledge. The introductory chapter asks relevant questions that can
help nurses to identify which theory
can guide their practice.
Each chapter provides a case study
related to a clinical topic, followed by
a brief discussion of relevant theories. For example, Chapter 2 includes
Lazarus and Folkmans Theory of
Coping, Lindemanns Grief Theory,
and Aquileras Theory of Crisis Intervention, and Chapter 6 includes
Beavers Systems Model of Family
Functioning, Coopersmithss SelfEsteem Theory, and Eriksons Theory of Psychosocial Development. The
author picks one theory within each
chapter and denes its major concepts related to the chapters topic.
Each chapter also includes examples
of concepts related to clinical practice; the relationship between major concepts of the featured theory;
nursing assessment, diagnosis planning, implementation, and evaluation
based on the clinical case study and
the chosen theory; and a section on
research supporting the theory.
The author includes a chapter at
the end of the book describing strategies for theory-directed nursing
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practice. This nal chapter presents


a useful comparison of the nursing
process and the problem-solving
process, with diagrams of the two
processes included for clarication.
This chapter could be helpful to
nurses who are designing their practice to include a theoretical base as a
foundation for the application of the
nursing process.
Several chapters have particular
relevance for nurses. For example,
Chapter 8, Peplaus Theory With an
Emphasis on Anxiety, is especially
useful because the concept of client
anxiety is common in nursing practice. This chapter uses a case study
to explain how a widely used nursing theory can be applied to clinical
nursing practice. This application
is an excellent strategy for helping
nurses to apply theory to practice.
Chapter 5, Bowens Family Theory, is practical because nurses provide family-centered care across all
settings. This chapter can help nurses to conceptualize the family as client or context for nursing care, and
provides a systems basis for family
nursing. Many nursing models and
theories are based on systems theory,
and those focused on family nursing
connect Bowens Family Systems
Theory with nursing theory.
Chapter 9, Lewins Field Theory
With Emphasis on Change, provides
a good basis for practicing nurses
who constantly deal with change. A
case study exemplifying change in a
hospital situation involving students
provides familiar information that
can be used by nurses in many roles.
The application of principles based
on Lewins Change Theory provides
a relevant example for nursing.

Chapter 10, Thomas Conict


Theory, provides valuable information to help nurses to develop modalities to address workplace conict
in a productive manner.
This book has the potential to be
most benecial if used in combination with other sources that describe
nursing knowledge development.
For example, it could be used with
references about nursing philosophy,
the conceptual theoretical-empirical structure of nursing knowledge
(Fawcett, 2005), the empirical, aesthetic, personal, ethical, and sociopolitical ways of knowing in nursing (Carper, 1978; White, 1995), and
other nursing theory development
books. The research supporting the
theories in each chapter presents a
beginning review of the literature.
References included in the text can
also benet readers who are beginning to learn about theory from
nursing and other disciplines.
The book is well organized and
easy to read. It is a valuable resource
for nurses to enhance their understanding of the application of theory
to nursing practice.
REFERENCES
Carper, B. (1978). Fundamental patterns of
knowing in nursing. Advances in Nursing
Science, 1, 13-23.
Fawcett, J. (2005). Contemporary nursing
knowledge: Analysis and evaluation of
nursing models and theories (2nd ed.).
Philadelphia: F. A. Davis.
White, J. (1995). Patterns of knowing: Review,
critique and update. Advances in Nursing
Science, 17, 73-86.
Diana M. L. Newman, EdD, RN
University of Massachusetts
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Boston, Massachusetts

The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing May/June 2006 Vol 37, No 3

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

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