Nursing theories, an analysis their applicability in nursing research at local, regional and national level.

Abstract

This article deals with the applicability of nursing theories in research at the local, regional and national level during the period 2018-2019. It focuses on three nursing theorists, Orem, Watson and Leininger, whose choice is based on their relationship with the study plan and the profile of the graduate of the Nursing Degree from the Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS). Objective: to analyze the applicability of the selected theories in nursing research at a local, regional and national level and to identify the obstacles or motivations perceived by teachers in relation to the use of these theories by the student body. Methodology: a qualitative approach, of a documentary type and discourse analysis, through the use of two data collection techniques: documentary analysis of secondary data on academic studies such as theses and final works to access the degree title carried out by Nursing students from different universities at a local, regional and national level and a semi-structured interview with UNS professors. The results indicate that, of the 24 research papers selected at the local level, only 7 included the selected authors; 8 at the regional level and 7 at the national level. Interviews with teachers revealed that theories are not used in research due to the belief that it is unnecessary and because of the difficulty of its application in the field of practice. In conclusion, the study suggests a deficit in the use of selected nursing theories at the local, regional and national level. It is necessary to expand the study to investigate the discourse of teachers regarding the application of this epistemological framework, both in theory and in practice.