Operationalization of a nursing model for psychiatric nursing research

Theoretical substruction provides a framework for deriving and operationalizing study variables related to abstract constructs identified in nursing theories. Moreover, substruction demonstrates the suitability of nursing models for empirical investigation and clinical application. In this paper, theoretical substruction is used to illustrate the significance of Schlotfeldt's health-seeking model for nursing research and practice. From Schlotfeldt's model, study variables are derived and the theoretical-empirical consistency of an exemplary research design examining hypothesized relationships among study variables is described. The research design, grounded in explicit nursing theory, illustrates the investigation of phenomena of concern to the nursing discipline and promises results that will contribute to nursing knowledge development.