Doing Nursing Without Understanding Nursing: Why Nursing Theories such as NurCaM Matters

Contributor - Rudolf Cymorr Kirby Martinez, PhD, MA, RN, CGNC, CNE, WWCC, HWNC-BC, AHN-BC, SGAHN, FFNMRCSI I am a nurse educator from the Philippines who has been in academia for at least 12 years. I started in nursing education at the baccalaureate level, handling students in Community Health Nursing clinical rotation. During this time, I … Continue reading Doing Nursing Without Understanding Nursing: Why Nursing Theories such as NurCaM Matters

Norwegian Nurse Educators Recognize that Nursing Theories are of Vital Importance…Do You?

Contributor: Savina O. SchoenhoferCo-developer of the theory of Nursing As Caring Source: ChatGPT A study of Norwegian nurse educators’ perceptions of the meaning of nursing theories at the baccalaureate level, recently published in the Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences (Kvande et al., 2026) prompted me to ask the question that titles these reflections. That focus … Continue reading Norwegian Nurse Educators Recognize that Nursing Theories are of Vital Importance…Do You?

Constructive Failure: How Mistakes Shape Becoming a Nurse

Contributor - Brittany Haynes A nursing student once stood frozen during simulation after realizing she had miscalculated a medication dose. No real patient was harmed, and everyone in the room knew that. Still, she was shaken. During debrief, she quietly said, “I will never forget this.” That moment stayed with me, not because of the … Continue reading Constructive Failure: How Mistakes Shape Becoming a Nurse

Gertrude Torres (July 18, 1933 – July 24, 2016) – Guardian of Our Discipline

Guardian of the Discipline I first learned of Dr. Gertrude Torres’ work when she and Helen Yura published a report of their study of analysis of the conceptual frameworks of several nursology [nursing] baccalaureate programs that were accredited by the National League for Nursing. The analysis revealed four major concepts--man, society, health, and nursing (Yura … Continue reading Gertrude Torres (July 18, 1933 – July 24, 2016) – Guardian of Our Discipline

Reducing Mental Health Stigma in Nursing Education: Lessons from Peplau’s Interpersonal Relations Theory

Contributor - Elouise Runnels Ford, RN, MSN, MHEd Mental illness remains one of the most stigmatized health conditions worldwide, and stigma often extends into healthcare, including nursing (Ben Natan, Drori, & Hochman, 2024). Nurses play a critical role in supporting individuals with mental health challenges, yet unintentional biases can influence the care they provide and … Continue reading Reducing Mental Health Stigma in Nursing Education: Lessons from Peplau’s Interpersonal Relations Theory

Restoring the Bridge Between Nursing Theory and Clinical Practice: A Call to Rebalance

Contributor - Aissatou GueyePhD student, Boston College Connell School of Nursing “When nurses cross freely between the two shores of theory and practice, knowledge becomes wisdom, and practice becomes an act of artistry and consciousness.” In nursing classrooms, we speak of caring as both art and science—an integration of empirical evidence, aesthetic knowing, personal presence, … Continue reading Restoring the Bridge Between Nursing Theory and Clinical Practice: A Call to Rebalance

Teaching Community Health Nursing Innovatively with Nursology Knowledge–Pender and Watson

Guest Contributor: Jennifer M. HackelAdjunct Professor of Nursing, University of Southern Maine Teaching Community Health Nursing to undergraduate students during the pandemic offered this professor a good opportunity to ground them in nursology. The clinical placement for my section of eight students was immersing them in the community where I live -- a rural unbridged … Continue reading Teaching Community Health Nursing Innovatively with Nursology Knowledge–Pender and Watson

We See Each Other: Reclaiming Unity in Nursing Scholarship and Practice

Co-Contributor - Julee Waldrop DNP, FAANP, FAANSee Nursology.net blog posts related to DNP Education and Practice In a time when healthcare systems are increasingly impersonal, patient care may be at risk of discontinuity. The collaboration between Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) nurses offers a pathway to integrate nursing knowledge and … Continue reading We See Each Other: Reclaiming Unity in Nursing Scholarship and Practice

Call to WHAT Action?

This blog is a follow-up to my previous blog, Call to Action NOW My participation in a November 24, 2025 webinar presented by staff of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) (WF25_11_24_OBBBA_Webinar Handout.pdf) brought to my attention a possible rationale for the United States (US) Department of Education proposal for a change in … Continue reading Call to WHAT Action?

Health Literacy: Patient Empowerment in Outpatient Surgery and the Role of the Nurse.

Guest Contributor: Marta Patrícia Marques LameirasMasters student in Medical-Surgical Nursing at the Catholic University of Portugal School of Nursing in Lisbon Thought: "Education, whatever it may be, is always a theory of knowledge put into practice." Paulo Freire Health literacy is a fundamental pillar for patient empowerment, especially in outpatient surgery contexts, where hospitalisation time … Continue reading Health Literacy: Patient Empowerment in Outpatient Surgery and the Role of the Nurse.

Artificial Intelligence Usage in Palliative Care: A Viewpoint

Contributor - Cheryl J. Bostelman, MSN, RNPhD student, Texas Woman's University The world of digital technology is rapidly expanding with new ideas and tools to better life for all. Healthcare has benefited from this technological growth. Artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is an asset. Yet, how is AI applicable to other areas of healthcare, such … Continue reading Artificial Intelligence Usage in Palliative Care: A Viewpoint

Bird Brains, Edge Group Effect, and Nursing Knowledge Drift

"The Hudsonian Godwit makes a trip from breeding grounds in arctic Alaska almost to the southernmost tip of South America—just under 10,000 miles!" - Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology When I was a child we called one another “birdbrain” when we had done something stupid or counterproductive.  It was a harsh insult.  But in more recent years a significant … Continue reading Bird Brains, Edge Group Effect, and Nursing Knowledge Drift

I’m a Novice Learner Again: How Benner’s From Novice to Expert Theory Guided My First Year of PhD Nursing School

Contributor: Melanie Morton, MSN, RNC-OB, CBC Introduction If you are a nurse, you have inevitably experienced Benner’s From Novice to Expert Theory. You may experience this theory many times throughout your career. In 1984, Patricia Benner coined the Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory. This theory includes five progressive stages: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and … Continue reading I’m a Novice Learner Again: How Benner’s From Novice to Expert Theory Guided My First Year of PhD Nursing School

Artificial Intelligence and the Art of Human Caring in Nursing

Guest Contributor: Serena TobarDoctoral Nursing Student, Texas Woman's Univeristy It feels as though artificial intelligence (AI) has bloomed overnight in healthcare; its roots spreading rapidly, its branches reaching into nearly every aspect of clinical practice. New applications emerge almost daily, and even for seasoned professionals, keeping pace can feel overwhelming. At my own institution, we … Continue reading Artificial Intelligence and the Art of Human Caring in Nursing

The case for more community nursing clinical education and opportunities

Contributor - Ashley Booth The nursing field has a deep history in the community. Called healers or caregivers, for centuries nurses were the holistic practitioners that we know from oral tradition and experience would cure, treat, and care for people (Ehrenreich, Egenes). But as institutions such as alms houses and hospitals became more popular, nursing … Continue reading The case for more community nursing clinical education and opportunities

Who Gets to Be Called ‘Doctor’? Rethinking NP Education and Identity

Contributor: Misty McNabb, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, PhD Student The power imbalance between physicians and nurses has existed for over a century and is reinforced not only through policy but also through language, perceived professional identity, and institutional structures. One of the most persistent debates centers on the use of the title "Doctor", a term that … Continue reading Who Gets to Be Called ‘Doctor’? Rethinking NP Education and Identity

The Ocean We Navigate: A Metaphor for Professional Development in Nursing

Guest Contributor: Leah KorkisDirector of Clinical Education and Nursing Excellence, University of Southern California I grew up kayaking with my Dad off the shores of Kailua, Oahu. I remember with each stroke of my paddle the shifting winds blowing through my hair, the rhythmic lapping of waves, and the mysterious expanse stretching beneath and beyond. … Continue reading The Ocean We Navigate: A Metaphor for Professional Development in Nursing

Book Review: “From North Korea to America Through Three Wars”

Contributor - Lynn Hamilton A nurse’s contribution to literature that uplifts the human spirit is always welcome, and for nursologists, the story can expand insights into our own profession.  Such a narrative is Korean-American nurse Sung Yoo’s extraordinary and particularly reflective life journey in her now-published personal memoir, “North Korea to America in Three Wars, … Continue reading Book Review: “From North Korea to America Through Three Wars”

Integrating the ANA Code of Ethics in Nursing Education: Advancing Equity and Care for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

Guest Contributors: Angela McClure and Katie DavisTexas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing Nursing education must be rooted in ethical standards that promote compassionate, competent, and equitable care for all individuals, including those with intellectual disabilities (ID). The American Nursing Association Code of Ethics guidesd the delivery of compassionate and skilled care, ensuring … Continue reading Integrating the ANA Code of Ethics in Nursing Education: Advancing Equity and Care for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

The Philosophy of Knowledge in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Are We Teaching, or Is AI Taking Over?

Guest Contributor: Cora RabePhD student in nursing, Texas Woman's University Introduction For centuries, philosophers have wrestled with life’s biggest questions: What is knowledge? How do we learn? Why do students suddenly "remember" an assignment is due five minutes before class? Okay, maybe that last one wasn’t on Plato’s mind, but if he were around today, … Continue reading The Philosophy of Knowledge in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Are We Teaching, or Is AI Taking Over?