Do Graduate Nursing Students Have a Change in Perspective Regarding Nursing Care after Taking a Nursing Theory Course?

Purpose: The aim of the study is to understand graduate nurses’ perception of the utilization of nursing theory in their practice, both before and after taking a graduate class in nursing theory.   Registered nurses seeking Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degrees are required to take a nursing theory course in which they examine the relationship between existing nursing theories and health care delivery.   Is there a difference in the provision of nursing care by graduate nurses who use a nursing theory to undergird and guide their practice as opposed to those graduate nurses who do not use a nursing theory in their practice?  The demand of graduate level nurses continues to rise. Preparing graduates to continue their journey as critical thinkers, who utilize and develop new knowledge through scholarly inquiry and nursing theory is essential to the rapidly changing healthcare environment we continue to experience.

Methods:  A mixed-methods design using quantitative and qualitative data was gathered in pre and post course surveys.  A 5-point Likert scale was used for quantitative measurements.  Open-ended questions provided the qualitative data.  On the first day of NUR 5305-Nursing Theory class, students took the pre-course survey on their perceptions and utilization of nursing theory as a way to guide their practice.  Students were asked to select a random number to include on the top of their pre-course survey.  They used the same random number for the post-course survey on the last day of class.  The post-course survey was compared to the pre-course survey to indicate changes in perspectives.  

Results:   Prior to taking a graduate level nursing theory course, a large majority of the MSN students surveyed did not use a nursing theory as a foundation to their practice.  At the end of the course, the post-course survey indicated a majority of the MSN students had implemented a nursing theory to guide their practice. 

Conclusions:  The MSN students have had a change in their perspectives regarding nursing care after completion of the nursing theory course.   Their practice has been enhanced through the conscious application of nursing theory as a foundation to undergird their delivery of nursing care.