Nursing: theory to practice or practice to theory

A theory is a belief that explains phenomena and provides a certain course of action. It provides a set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena. A hypothesis or explanation of a phenomenon based on available data Statistics. A general statement predicting, explaining, or describing the relationships among a number of constructs. To work at a profession is practice. There is strong interrelationships among theory, research and practice. Praxis is the process by which a theory, lesson, or skill is enacted.Nursing is both science and art. The science is nursing's abstract body of knowledge lived through the art in service to people. Nursing theory is an organized framework of concepts and purposes designed to guide the practice of nursing. Nursing practice is the actual provision of nursing care. In providing nursing care, the nurse uses both nursing theory and best practice derived from nursing research.Over the past 20 years, the nursing profession has recognized four levels of Nursing Theory: Practice Theory, Middle Range Theory, Grand Theory and Meta theory. Practice Theory traces the outline for nursing practice. Middle Range Theory has a stronger relationship to research and practice. Grand Theory focuses on the global viewpoint and concepts that is the framework that defines broad perspective for nursing practice. Meta theory is the highest level of theory, which is abstract and not easily testable. It provides the meanings and structures interconnecting events and situations observed by nurses around the world.