Cultural negotiation: a constructivist-based model for nursing practice

Combining abstract concepts from grand theories with the pragmatics of nursing practice presents a dilemma for nursing that is being addressed with the emphasis on middle-range theory. The philosophical perspective of constructivism is the foundation for a middle-range theory that links the nursing process to holism through the respective worlds and knowledge of the nurse and client. The nursing process is situated in the context of the cultural worlds of the nurse, client, and health care system and in the greater social context. This model allows the nursing process to be recast in new language that captures the interdependence of the client-nurse interaction. This model accommodates the social values and beliefs of both the health care system and the social context.