The development of society leads to changes in the healthcare system affecting both citizens and healthcare professionals. The increase in the number of citizens with chronic illness and complex illness trajectories, the development and increased use of new healthcare technology as well as the increase in outpatient services and shorter hospitalization, increase the requirements to citizens/patients, relatives and nurses, and thus also the nursing offered and carried out.
The project focuses on the knowledge base of nursing and is a study of the future theoretical framework of the nursing profession. Nursing is a knowledge-based practice and theory is a key element of knowledge. The significance of theories and the importance of thinking with theory in nursing are therefore central to the project.
Today, many forms of theories are used in nursing. The question is which theories the nursing profession is best rooted in when it comes to future patients and relatives.
The focus of the project is the theories that should be included in nursing education and the theories that are to be developed to meet the future needs of patients, citizens and relatives, with the aim of creating a coherent knowledge base for the nursing profession.
The purpose of the project:
- To describe the phenomena and problems central to nursing
- To develop an overall theoretical knowledge base for nursing
- To develop specific nursing care based on the overall knowledge base
- To test the developed nursing care in specific clinical situations
Overall, the project consists of the following sub-studies:
- Analysis of text books from selected nursing programmes focusing on which nursing theories are being taught.
- Description of future patients and relatives based on the development of the welfare state and with a particular focus on the implication of ‘competition’ in healthcare.
- Description of practice concepts based on empirical projects.
- Implementation and testing of the developed theoretical nursing framework.
Project organisation
Project manager is Professor of Nursing Science Charlotte Delmar, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University and Postdoc Bente Hoeck, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark.
The study is conducted in collaboration with University College Lillebaelt, University College Nordjylland and VIA University College, which are all co-financing the project. In addition, the project collaborates with Lillebaelt Hospital, the Regional Hospital in Horsens and the North Denmark Regional Hospital.
A formal collaboration has been established with associate professor Monica Kvande, University of Tromsø, Norway and Professor Kathleen Galvin University of Brighton, UK.
The project is carried out over 5 years from January 2015 to June 2020.
Contact: Bente Hoeck