The Development and Structure of Nursing Knowledge Paper Essay

The Development and Structure of Nursing Knowledge Paper - Essay Example Nonetheless, there are some characterizing differences between theoretical and practical knowledge in nursing. Differences between theoretical and practical knowledge in nursing Theoretical knowledge Practical knowledge Also referred to as â€Å"know-that† knowledge, theoretical knowledge is gained from conducting various types of research. Also referred to as â€Å"know-how† knowledge, practical knowledge is acquired through individual experience. Involves trying to identify the necessary conditions for the occurrence of a real-life situation. Involves what happens during real-life situations. Involves what nurses read or are told concerning patient care. Involves what nurses observe during patient care. It is rational, in that it is easily communicated through description. It is tactical, in that it is hard to communicate this knowledge by word of mouth; observing someone doing it is more helpful. It is used to predict future occurrences, using cause-and-effect correl ations. It is used to attend to immediate situations, while relying on psychomotor skills. It is conditional and subject to inaccuracy and future challenges. Time, skill, and competence lead to more refined practical knowledge. In the end, although there are glaring differences between theoretical and practical knowledge in nursing, none can exist without the other. ... The most pertinent issue concerns the incongruity between what is taught in nursing courses and what actual practice demands. Aligning nursing education with actual practice All through the history of nursing, emergent healthcare issues have led to the adoption of new and different designs of the nursing curriculum. In the modern world, the healthcare industry is undergoing a lot of changes occasioned by new lifestyles, new technologies, and demographic changes. As a result, there have been concerns over whether the nursing education provided in nursing schools is still relevant in the healthcare industry. According to McKenna & Slevin (2008) one of the issues that have caused the public to lack confidence in the nursing curriculum is the increased number of medical errors. Fundamentally, medical errors mean patient safety is at risk, leading to an increased number of people dying from medical errors. It has been argued that there exists a large discrepancy between theory and practic e in nursing education. Today, this concern is gaining more global attention, as research shows that graduate nurses are unable to apply their theoretical knowledge to nursing practice. NACNEP (2010) states that a study conducted in 2008 showed that graduate nurses felt confident that the knowledge they had acquired in while studying was sufficient to enable them practice efficiently. However, according to the research, these graduates were lacking in certain skills, such as charting patient information and the use of information technology in healthcare. As a result, it the assumption is that the current nursing curriculum emphasizes more on theory than on practice. According to McKenna & Slevin (2008) nurses spend more time