Abstract
Theories are important in disciplines. A discipline is a “realm, sphere, or domain. It is a branch of knowledge ordered through the theories and methods evolving from more than one worldview of the phenomenon of concern” (Parse, 1997, p. 74). Theories serve to “describe, explain, and predict phenomena in a discipline” (King, 1997, p. 23). Scholars and scientists utilize concepts, principles, and theories as unique descriptors of their discipline’s boundaries, and these concepts, principles, and theories are used as the basis to educate students as future scholars and scientists. For example, in introductory chemistry, biology, or psychology courses, students study foundational theories and their associated concepts and principles, that are within the confines of those disciplines. As those students progress in their degree programs, they learn more specifics about different concepts or specialized knowledge areas within each discipline. In chemistry, for instance, students progress to learn about organic chemistry, analytic chemistry, physical chemistry, and biochemistry; in psychology, students learn more about abnormal psychology, behavioral psychology, neurological psychology, and the models and methods of psychotherapy, to name a few specialty areas.
However, in nursing, there is a diminishing use of nursing theories in formal published research, as well as in nursing educational programs, in master’s and clinical doctorate projects, and in the guiding of research within doctoral (PhD) dissertations. “A cursory review of nursing textbooks and journals today reveals that nurses continue to borrow theories from other disciplines. But theories from other disciplines may not be adequate to guide nursing research or practice” (Villarruel et al., 2001, p. 158). In nursing PhD education there seems to be an acceptance of utilizing theories and frameworks from other disciplines to serve as the conceptual basis of nursing research projects. This acceptance, as can be imagined, is concerning. Parse (2001) raised the question: “How can nurses be expected to know the uniqueness of their discipline if they are taught and evaluated with the language of other disciplines?” (p. 273). The utilization of non-nursing knowledge is not alarming, in general, because all knowledge has implications for nursing and other health sciences. However, the concern is that utilizing theories and frameworks from other disciplines, such as within nursing PhD dissertations, enhances and expands knowledge for other disciplines, and not for nursing. The findings of these doctoral dissertations have implications for nursing, but the findings do not directly expand the theoretical base of nursing (Fawcett & DeSanto-Madeya, 2013; Villarruel et al., 2001).
If concepts and theories from other discipline are utilized, then a rationale for their use needs to be clearly articulated. “Unfortunately, very few nurses have made any attempts to present a rationale for the use of borrowed theories as guides for nursing practice or research by linking the theory with a nursing conceptual model” (Fawcett & DeSanto-Madeya, 2013, p. 17).
Moreover, one of the explicit purposes of a research study using a theory outside of nursing should be “to determine if they [borrowed theories] are empirically adequate in nursing situations” (Fawcett & DeSanto-Madeya, 2013, p. 17). This determination is important because “few nurse scientists have determined whether theories from other disciplines can legitimately be considered shared theories and thus appropriate for use by nurses” (Villarruel et al., 2001, p. 158).
The utilization of nursing theories is important in the refinement and expansion of nursing knowledge. Nurse scholars and educators should guide novices in the uniqueness of the discipline, such as through nursing theory-guided research within PhD dissertations. If nursing theory is not the basis for a doctoral nursing research study or the foundation of a PhD in nursing program, it begs the question as for the need of PhD in nursing programs; why not earn a PhD in health sciences?
