Nursing theory and its application in nursing practice Research Paper

Nursing theory and its application in nursing practice - Research Paper Example eory is essentially a description of how culture care is an essential part of a nurse’s understanding of patients, and how a myriad of cultural factors can improve the care that a patient receives (Leininger, 1988). The main definitions acquired from the theory are care, cultural practices, wellness, and illness; all the factors that influence the health of an individual. The relationships put forward by Leininger indicate that a nurse’s understanding of the cultural care received by a patient goes a long way in determining the rate at which a patient acquires wellness from illness. An appraisal of the theory indicates that it is simple enough to understand, since the factors presented in the theory are interrelated and linked. The arguments presented in the theory are clear for nurses and what they need to do to improve the health of their patients. The theory can be generalized to include all classes of patients, including all illnesses, since the cultural practices applied are universal. This theory can be considered contagious for many classes of students, researchers, administrators and all the players in the health industry. The above assumption lies in the fact that the theory is generally applicable in most fields of health care, and can be used interchangeably with other nursing theories to find the best solution for illnesses. The administrators in the nursing field, especially administrative nurses, can use the points mentioned in the theory to improve both in-patient and outpatient care, since the cultural care practices mentioned in the theory are universal. The usefulness of the theory is found in the applicability to different nursing models, since it presents a rational outlook for both practice and research. This assumption is arrived at after considering the importance of a deeper understanding of patients’ needs and backgrounds, which indicate the importance of extra care. For a patient’s illness to be cured, a nurse has to apply the