Comparative Nursing Theories

To make the theory more simple, here are some tables to compare the major nursing theories and concepts.  Organizing everything into tables definitely helped with passing the class and incorporating it into nursing care a lot easier!

Definition of Nursing

  • Nightingale: Process of putting pt. in the best condition for nature to act upon him.
  • Peplau: Therapeutic Interpersonal process.
  • Orlando: Meeting needs through relationships.
  • Roy: Promote adaptation.
  • Orem: Assisting pts. to meet self-care needs.
  • King: Process of action, reaction, and interaction maintain health & role function.
  • Rogers: Learned profession –both science & art.
  • American Nurse Assoc. (ANA): Dx and Tx of human response to actual and potential health problems. Caring for the human health experience.
TheoryGoal of Nursing
KingTo help individual, families, groups, and communities attain, maintain and restore health so they can function in their respective roles
Orem To compensate for or overcome known or emerging health associated limitations for self care
Newman Recognize patterns
RoyPromote adaptation in the four adaptive modes, thus contributing to health, quality of life, and dying with dignity.
Theory Definitions of Health
Kingdynamic life experiences of a human being,
which implies continuous adjustment to
stressors in the environment through optimum
use of one’s resources to achieve maximum
potential for daily living – to function in social
roles
NewmanThe totality of the life process to be
experienced – health and illness are unitary
process -health is expanding consciousness
OremState of the person that is characterized by
soundness of wholeness of developed human
structures and of bodily and mental
functioning
Roy State and process of being and becoming
integrated and whole that reflects person and
environment mutuality

comparative nursing theories