This valuable text offers clearly defined and practical ways to integrate nursing theory into actual nursing practice. Intended as a companion title to Nursing Theorists and Their Work, Nursing Theory goes beyond the presentation of the theories to help readers determine concrete ways to apply these often abstract concepts in everyday practice. Designed as a companion title to Nursing Theorists and Their Work, this text helps readers apply complex nursing theories to realistic nursing situations. This is the only book that explores the moral and ethical meaning of nursing practice and with specific nursing duties. Features a recurring case study character Debbie to apply a variety of philosophies, models, and theories to this same patient, encouraging students to compare and contrast the various nursing care approaches presented. The student-friendly approach presents the content logically in three distinct parts: Part I: Conceptualization discusses the history of nursings search for substantive knowledge and provides necessary background information to help readers understand and apply theory. Part II: Application contains 16 chapters, each designed as a critical thinking structure outlining an overview of a nursing theoretical work and illustrating that work through case application and critical thinking exercises. Part III: Expansion contains two chapters: one highlighting nursing practice areas for expansion of theory-based practice; and another issuing a challenge based on nursing values and the essential nature of theory-based nursing. Critical Thinking Exercises at the end of each chapter present a diverse offering of patients and cases and serve as ideal weekly threads for courses that are taught through distance education. The Application section presents theory as a guide for reasoning and decision-making. This approach helps clarify the critical thinking process for the reader through case studies, critical thinking tables, and end-of-chapter exercises, helping each student learn to personally apply each philosophy, model, and theory discussed. Links among philosophies, models, and theories build a sound knowledge foundation for practice and explain the evolution of nursing theory. Chapter 1, The Nature of Knowledge Needed for Nursing Practice, introduces a new period in nursing theory the Theory Utilization Era that highlights todays widespread use of middle range theory. The idea of middle range theory in a generic structure of knowledge is developed throughout the book.