Differentiated practice: the new paradigm using a theoretical approach

Differentiated practice is a term that has been identified in nursing for years. Nurses today, however, still practice under the old paradigm that disregards preparation and states that "a nurse is a nurse is a nurse." The idea of differentiated practice, which supports the restructuring of nursing roles based on education, experience, and competence, can again be found in recent literature. Current models for differentiated practice and rationales for implementation are reviewed. This article addresses the need to shift from the old paradigm and provides an analysis of the issues central to differentiated practice from two theoretical perspectives: role theory and nursing theory.