Developing the credibility of continuing education.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Healthcare Education

Background:

• The nursing profession requires a strong research base, yet a theory-practice gap persists.
• A less-documented issue is the commitment gap between basic and continuing nursing education.
• Nursing theory has evolved from certainty-based to uncertainty-based models, impacting clinical relevance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the reasons for the commitment gap in nursing education.
• To explore the relationship between nursing theory evolution and clinical staff acceptance.
• To propose a solution for enhancing the integration of nursing theory into practice.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on the theory-practice gap in nursing.
• Analysis of the evolution of nursing theory content.
• Exploration of the psychological factors influencing clinical staff's adoption of new theory.

Main Results:

• Clinical staff may reject nursing theory due to a perceived lack of security in their knowledge base.
• The shift towards uncertainty-based nursing models can exacerbate this issue.
• A legal framework for nursing practice is hypothesized to provide the necessary security.

Conclusions:

• A legal framework can enhance clinical staff's confidence in their practice.
• This enhanced security may foster greater acceptance and integration of new nursing theory.
• Addressing the commitment gap requires understanding and mitigating the impact of theoretical shifts on clinical practice.