Grand Theory Compare and Contrast
Contrast and Comparison of Nursing Grand Theorists
Carol Goetz
Maryville University
The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast nursing theorists from the four categories which are identified by Meleis as: Needs, Interaction, Outcome and Caring. (Meleis, 2012, Chapter 9) I have chosen Faye Abdellah, Imogene King, Myra Levine and Jean Watson as the grand theorists that I would like to explore for this study in contrast and comparison. This decision was made, in part, due to the fact that all of these theorists were born and educated in the twentieth century and I felt that their theories might be more applicable to my nursing practice. The information contained in the tables was obtained from several sources in an attempt to allow for a less biased view of each theory and an interpretation of the data.
|Theorist |Category |Education |Philosophy of Nursing |Definition of |Goal/Purpose of Theory |
| | | | |Nursing | |
| | |1942 – Diploma from Fitkin*|- Nursing is a helping profession |-Abdellah described nursing as|Abdellah’s theory was created |
| | |Memorial School of Nursing,|- Nursing care is doing something to |a service to individuals, to |to assist with nursing |
| | |New Jersey |or for the person or providing |families and therefore to, |education and intended to |
|Faye |Needs |* now known as Ann May |information to the person with the |society.(Nursing Theories, |guide those in the hospital, |
|Abdellah | |School of Nursing |goals of meeting needs, increasing or |2009, Para. 12)
Carol Goetz
Maryville University
The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast nursing theorists from the four categories which are identified by Meleis as: Needs, Interaction, Outcome and Caring. (Meleis, 2012, Chapter 9) I have chosen Faye Abdellah, Imogene King, Myra Levine and Jean Watson as the grand theorists that I would like to explore for this study in contrast and comparison. This decision was made, in part, due to the fact that all of these theorists were born and educated in the twentieth century and I felt that their theories might be more applicable to my nursing practice. The information contained in the tables was obtained from several sources in an attempt to allow for a less biased view of each theory and an interpretation of the data.
|Theorist |Category |Education |Philosophy of Nursing |Definition of |Goal/Purpose of Theory |
| | | | |Nursing | |
| | |1942 – Diploma from Fitkin*|- Nursing is a helping profession |-Abdellah described nursing as|Abdellah’s theory was created |
| | |Memorial School of Nursing,|- Nursing care is doing something to |a service to individuals, to |to assist with nursing |
| | |New Jersey |or for the person or providing |families and therefore to, |education and intended to |
|Faye |Needs |* now known as Ann May |information to the person with the |society.(Nursing Theories, |guide those in the hospital, |
|Abdellah | |School of Nursing |goals of meeting needs, increasing or |2009, Para. 12)
References: Caring sciences. (n.d.). Retrieved May 23, 2013, from http://watsoncaringscienc.org/about-us/caring-science-definitions-pro... Faye Glenn Abdellah’s Theory. (2011). Retrieved May 23, 2013, from http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/Abdellah.html Imogene King’s theory of Goal Attainment. (2012). Retrieved May 23, 2012, from http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/goal_attainment_theory.html Jean Watson: caring science. (2007). Retrieved May, 2013, from http://jeanwatsoncaringscience.weebly.com/theory-description.html Jean Watson’s philosophy of nursing. (2012). Retrieved May 23, 2013, from http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/Watson.html Meleis, A. I. (2012). Theoretical nursing development & progress (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Myra Estrin Levine - Nursing Theorist. (2011). Retrieved May 11, 2013, from http://nursing-theory.org/nursing-theorists/Myra-Estrine-Levine.php Nursing Theories (2009, July 18). Changing the world ... one step at a time (Faye G. Abdellah) [Blog post]. Retrieved from nursingtheories.blogspot.com/2009/07/changing-world-on-step-at-a-time-faye-g.html Oloresisimo, D. C., Mendoza, G., Naco, R., Morales, P. A., Mania, E. F., & Marcelino, C. (2008, July 28). Reflection from the past and a vision for the future: King’s theory and its application [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from http://imogene-king.blogspot.com