This document discusses four strategies for theory development in nursing: 1. Theory to practice to theory - Using an existing theory in practice and refining it based on experience. 2. Practice to theory - Developing theories by reflecting on clinical experiences through journaling and discussion. 3. Research to theory - Developing theories by conducting research and using the results to build theoretical frameworks in a inductive process. 4. Theory to research to theory - Using an existing theory to formulate research questions and modifying the theory based on the research results.

1. THEORY DEVELOPMENT
PROCESS
BY: HANA MAE KORNELIA B. VARGAS
MAN 1ST YEAR

2. THEORY DEVELOPMENT: EXISTING
STRATEGIES
•THEORY TO PRACTICE TO THEORY
• PRACTICE TO THEORY
•RESEARCH TO THEORY
•THEORY TO RESEARCH TO THEORY

3. THEORY TO PRACTICE TO THEORY
STRATEGY
•THE THEORIST WHO USES THIS STRATEGY
BEGINS THE PROCESS OF THEORIZING BY
SELECTING A THEORY TO USE IN PRACTICE AND
THEN USES PRACTICE TO REFINE THE THEORY
FURTHER

4. THEORY TO PRACTICE TO THEORY
(EXAMPLE)

5. PRACTICE TO THEORY STRATEGY

6. PRACTICE TO THEORY STRATEGY
•KEEPING JOURNALS, WRITING NOTES ,REFLECTING IN
DIARIES, WRITING STORIES ABOUT CLINICAL PRACTICE,
TALKING WITH OTHERS, EXPOSING OUR IDEAS FOR
DISCUSSION, UNCOVERING MEANING, CHALLENGING
ASSUMPTIONS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, USING
CRITICAL THINKING THROUGHOUT THESE PROCESSES
ARE METHODS TO DEVELOP THEORIES (BENNER, 1984;
GADOW,1988; HABERMAS, 1984).

7. RESEARCH TO THEORY STRATEGY
•THE MOST ACKNOWLEDGED AND ACCEPTED
STRATEGY FOR THEORY DEVELOPMENT, BOTH
BY SCIENTISTS IN OTHER FIELDS AS WELL AS BY
MANY WITHIN THE DISCIPLINE OF NURSING.

8. RESEARCH TO THEORY STRATEGY
•THIS STRATEGY IS BUILT ON THE ASSUMPTION
THAT THERE IS TRUTH OUT THERE IN REAL LIFE
THAT CAN BE CAPTURED THROUGH THE SENSES
AND THAT THIS TRUTH CAN BE VERIFIED OR
FALSIFIED
•FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE, THEORIES ARE
REFERRED TO AS SCIENTIFIC THEORIES,

9. RESEARCH TO THEORY STRATEGY
•REYNOLDS (1971) REFERS TO THIS STRATEGY IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THEORIES AS THE “BACONIAN
APPROACH.”
•IT IS ALSO MOST COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE
INDUCTIVE METHOD.
•REYNOLDS PROPOSED FOUR STEPS TO THIS
STRATEGY.

11. THEORY TO RESEARCH TO THEORY
STRATEGY
•IN THIS STRATEGY, THEORY DRIVES THE
RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND THE RESULTS
THAT ANSWER THESE RESEARCH
QUESTIONS INFORM AND MODIFY THE
THEORY.

12. THEORY TO RESEARCH TO THEORY
STRATEGY
•THEORISTS WHO BEGIN THE RESEARCH BY
DEFINING A THEORY AND DETERMINING
PROPOSITIONS FOR TESTING, AND THEN GO
FURTHER TO MODIFY AND DEVELOP THE
ORIGINAL THEORIES, ARE CONSIDERED USERS
OF THIS STRATEGY

13. THE PROCESSES USED FOR THE THEORY TO
RESEARCH TO THEORY METHOD ARE: