NURS 8110: Theoretical and Scientific Foundations for Nursing Practice | Week 3

This week examines concept development and analysis, which, along with theory, is a critical aspect of nursing research.

Whether a concept (also called phenomena) is abstract or more concrete, it exists within a particular context and may be interpreted in multiple ways. Clarifying or generating a shared understanding of what a particular concept is or means is therefore vitally important. As such, you will apply this approach to a research topic relevant to your nursing practice, and evaluate the steps in this process as demonstrated in a research article.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Apply concept analysis to a practice problem
• Analyze the steps in concept development and analysis as demonstrated in a research article

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

McEwin, M., & Wills, E. M. (2019). Theoretical basis for nursing. (5th ed.) Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health.

• Chapter 3, “Concept Development: Clarifying Meaning of Terms”Chapter 3 explains the process of concept development and discusses its application to theory development and research.

Gray, J.R., Grove, S.K., & Sutherland, S. (2017). Burns and Grove’s the practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier.

• Chapter 8, “Frameworks”Chapter 8 examines concepts and relational statements, how theories relate to concepts, and how to use conceptual maps to visually illustrate the interrelationships between concepts and statements.

Cronin, P., Ryan, F., & Coughlan, M. (2010). Concept analysis in healthcare research. International Journal of Therapy & Rehabilitation, 17(2), 62–68.

The theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of concept analysis are described in this article. In addition, methods used for concept analysis are discussed.

Ekeland, E., Heian, F., Hagen, K., Abbott, H., & Nordheim, L. (2008). Exercise to improve self-esteem in children and young people. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (1).

This systematic review examines the influence of exercise on the self-esteem of children and young adults.

Parse, R. R. (2006). Concept inventing: Continuing clarification. Nursing Science Quarterly, 19(4), 289.

This article provides an overview of concept inventing and describes the process as a nonlinear multidimensional approach that requires simultaneous analysis and synthesis.

Penrod, J. (2007). Living with uncertainty: concept advancement. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 57(6), 658–667.

This article provides an analysis of a phenomenological study on the concept of uncertainty among family caregivers.

Optional Resources

Brown, C., Wickline, M., Ecoff, L., & Glaser, D. (2009). Nursing practice, knowledge, attitudes and perceived barriers to evidence-based practice at an academic medical center. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(2), 371–3 81.

Risjord, M. (2009). Rethinking concept analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(3), 684–691.

Discussion: Strategies for Concept Development and Analysis

Post your responses to the Discussion based on the course requirements.

Your Discussion postings should be written in standard edited English and follow APA guidelines as closely as possible given the constraints of the online platform. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate. Refer to the Essential Guide to APA Style for Walden Students to ensure your in-text citations and reference list are correct. Initial postings must be 250–350 words (not including references). NURS 8110:Week 3: Strategies for Concept Development and Analysis Paper

ADDITIONAL INORMATION 

Strategies for Concept Development and Analysis

Introduction

A good concept is crucial to the success of a company. It’s the foundation upon which all other aspects of your business will be built, and without it you’ll never get anywhere. But what is a good concept? And how do you develop one? Here are some tips that will help you get started:

Start with a business plan.

A business plan is a document that details your company’s goals and strategies. The purpose of the business plan is to demonstrate how you will achieve those goals, and why they are necessary. It also helps investors see where their money should go if they choose to invest in your company.

A standard format for a business plan includes the following sections:

• Company Profile (e.g., name, address)

• Introduction (what you do)

• Mission Statement (what you want to achieve)

• Strategy (how you’ll get there)

The components below are just examples; there may be different ways these can be organized depending on what works best for each individual situation.

Organize ideas into categories and prioritize them.

• Organize ideas into categories

• Prioritize the most important ideas

• Prioritize your passions

Create a development team to develop your product or service.

When it comes to developing a product or service, you need to make sure that the people working on it are passionate about what they do. They should have a diverse background and be able to contribute to the project in different ways. If possible, find individuals who are willing to learn new skills and take risks when necessary.

Research competitors.

• Research competitors.

The first step in developing a concept is to research your competitors. This will help you understand the market and see what people are asking for, so that you can figure out how best to meet those needs. It’s also helpful to see where they differ from you and how they are different, as these things may have an impact on your brand or product offering.

For example: if one of your competitors is doing something really well (e.g., customer service), then this could influence which direction you go with yours (e.g., customer service).

Research the market.

The first step in developing a concept is researching the market. This means understanding what’s happening and why, as well as who’s doing it, where they’re doing it, and how much they cost. You’ll also want to consider what kind of people will buy your product or service: young adults? seniors? college students? families with children?

Once you’ve done some research on the market (and maybe even developed an idea for an actual product), analyze its strengths and weaknesses so that you can come up with a solution that works for both sides of the equation—the buyer and seller.

Learn as much as you can about your chosen field.

Learning as much about your chosen field as possible is an essential part of concept development. You should read books, magazines and websites that cover the subject you’re interested in. Talk to experts who work in this area or have studied it at a higher level than you do.

You can also use the internet to find out more about your chosen field and ask questions on forums or message boards dedicated specifically to that topic. You might even want to join an organization like [this one](https://www.international-biotechnology-forum.org/) if there’s one nearby!

Use what you’ve learned to turn yourself into an expert in your field of expertise.

If you want to become an expert in your field of expertise, it’s important that you learn from others. You can do this by reading books and articles, taking courses, taking online classes or offline classes on the topic at hand, and taking part in other learning opportunities as well.

If you’re interested in learning about strategy development for health care organizations (or anything else), consider taking a class at [insert university name here].

Find a mentor or something better than yourself to help you excel in what you do.

• Find a mentor or something better than yourself to help you excel in what you do.

• Find someone who is more knowledgeable than you, someone more experienced and skilled, someone more motivated by the same goals as yours.

Start planning before you start implementing

The best way to make sure you don’t miss anything is to plan before you start implementing. Planning helps you to avoid making mistakes and wasting time, which means that your project will be more successful.

You should also consider the following questions when planning:

• How long will it take? How much money are we going to spend? What resources do we need? When do we want this finished by and what is our deadline for getting things done (if there is one)? What skills do I have or what kind of help would be needed from others in order for us all work together effectively on this project together as a team?

Conclusion

When planning your concept, you should also consider the people who will be involved in it. They’re going to need to understand what they’re doing so that they can contribute effectively. You don’t have time to waste on this step if you want your product or service to be successful!