Running head: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ASSIGNMENT 1
Theoretical Framework Assignment
Jonna Marcelo
Liberty University
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ASSIGNMENT 2
Theoretical Framework Assignment
1. Identify and briefly describe the 3 ways that theory is used in research.
In order to intensify the scientific significance of a study’s outcomes, a theory is applied
in the organization of numerous concepts and interests in a study. Utilizing a theory provides a
guide in the study development and correlates the findings to a larger body of knowledge
(McEwen & Wills, 2014). Theory is applied in research in three significant ways, namely:
theory-generating research, theory-testing research, and theory as the conceptual framework or
context of a study. Theory-generating research, also known as descriptive research, is a method
of scientific inquiry which ensures that the wielding of undue influence on the subject is
prevented while accomplishing the examination and depiction of the behavior of a subject
(McEwen & Wills, 2014). It can also be defined as the process through which the researchers
make sense of the observable world through the course of conceptualizing, categorizing and
organizing relationships among observed elements (Lokke & Sorensen, 2014). There are several
steps involved in the process of theory generation and these include: (1) recognition of common
themes in particular group or settings; (2) interpretation of observation into abstract concepts; (3)
recognition of patterns of relationships between observations and concepts; (4) formation of
propositional statements derived from observations; and (5) unification of concepts and
propositions into framework or rudimentary theory (McEwen & Wills, 2014).
Theory-testing research is conducted to assess the explanatory value of the theory in
different contexts or in a different situation in order to derive logical conclusions or predictions
(Lokke & Sorensen, 2014). This is done to evaluate the explanatory power of a theory by
exploring the applicability and usability of a theory. According to McEwen and Wills (2014),
there are also several steps to be followed when conducting theory-testing research, and they are
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as follows: (1) selection of a theory of interest and identification of specific propositional
statements from the theory; (2) development of a hypothesis or hypotheses possessing specific
measurable variables reflective of the propositional statement; (3) performance of a study and
determination of findings if supportive or contradictory to the theory; and (4) conclusion for any
implication for further use of the theory in nursing practice.
Theory as the conceptual framework or context of a study pertains to utilizing a theory to
provide researchers with a context for making sense of their observations by providing an
overarching structure to their studies (Yamauchi, Ponte, Ratliffe, & Traynor, 2017). According to
McEwen and Wills (2014), the process of using a theory as a conceptual framework also
involves several steps, which can be summarized as follows: (1) application of the framework’s
concepts as variables in the study; (2) origination of conceptual definitions from the framework;
(3) confirmation of congruence of data collection instrument with the framework; (4)
interpretation of findings in the light of explanations provided by the framework: (5) researcher’s
identification of whether the findings support or challenge the framework; (6) development of
implications for nursing practice on the basis of the explanatory power of the framework; and (7)
formulation of recommendations for further research.
2. Use the criteria listed in Box 19-3 on p.442 of the McEwen & Wills text to
evaluate how theory was used as a conceptual framework in the nursing study
discussed in the selected article. The following 7 headings must be used when
responding to this question: Study Variables, Conceptual Definitions,
Instruments, Findings, Relationship of Findings to Framework, Implications for
Nursing Practice, and Recommendations for Further Research.
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In the study conducted by Liu et al. (2016), a conceptual framework was developed to
determine how personal characteristics, work conditions, and work-related fatigue serve as
predictive factors on the intent to leave among new nurses in Taiwan. This study will be
scrutinized as to the application of a theory as a conceptual framework in a nursing study based
on the seven criteria defined by McEwen and Wills (2014), to include framework’s concepts use
as study variables, conceptual definitions drawn from framework, congruence of data collection
instrument to framework, interpretation of findings, conclusion whether findings support or
contradict the framework, implications for nursing practice and recommendations for further
research.
Study Variables
There were four identified variables in the hypothesized model of the study conducted by
Liu et.al. (2016) which included three latent variables, namely: personal characteristics, work
conditions and work-related fatigue. There was one measurable variable identified in this study
which was the intent to leave (ITL).
Conceptual Definitions
Personal Characteristics
New nurses who were recruited to participate in this study were asked provide
information regarding their age, educational level, work experience, and overall health status.
The participants were also asked to rate their health status using the self-rated health status
(SRHS) which was measured using one item from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) with a 5-point Likert
scale (Liu et al., 2016).
Work Conditions
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The participants in this study were asked regarding their average working hours per
working day in the past week and their overall workload. The average working hours was self-
reported, while the overall workload was measured on a 0-10 scale (Liu et al., 2016).
Work-related Fatigue
The Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion Recovery Scale was used to measure work-related
fatigue in this study. This scale contained three subscales, namely: chronic fatigue, acute fatigue
and intershift recovery, with five items for each subscale and each item rated on a 7-point Likert
scale from 0 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree) (Liu et al., 2016).
Intent to Leave Scale
In this study, three items were used to measure intent to leave, which included: “I am
considering leaving this hospital,” “I am considering leaving nursing,” and “I want to keep doing
my nursing work” (Liu et al., 2016). The items defined how likely the participants were to leave
the hospital, leave nursing or whether they want to continue working as a nurse. Study
participants were asked to rate the three items on a 7 point Likert scale from 0 (strongly disagree)
to 6 (strongly agree).
Instruments
The new nurses that were recruited to participate in this study were selected using the
convenience sampling method (Liu et al., 2016). Upon obtaining consent for participation, the
participant nurses were given a questionnaire package, which they filled out at their convenience.
Once completed, the questionnaires were collected by the researchers.
Findings
The findings of the study demonstrated that a combination of work-related fatigue
(chronic fatigue, acute fatigue, and intershift recovery), work conditions (overall workload and
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average working hours), and self-related health status all exerted a direct impact on the new
nurses’ intent to leave. The new nurses’ age, education and work experience were found to have
no direct relationship to the intent to leave (Liu et al., 2016).
Relationship of Findings to Framework
The original conceptual framework utilized for the study identified personal
characteristics, which included age, education and work experience, as latent variables
hypothesized to affect the new nurses’ intent to leave (Liu et al., 2016). However, findings of the
study revealed that there was no direct relationship between the participants’ age, education and
work experience and their intent to leave. There was a relationship found, however, between the
participants’ self-reported health status and their intent to leave. With this finding, the original
conceptual model was modified to reflect said findings.
Implications for Nursing Practice
According to Liu et al. (2016), the findings from the new study contributed to the
extension of current knowledge by suggesting that only work conditions and work-related fatigue
influenced the new nurses’ intent to leave while personal characteristics had no direct
relationship to the new nurses’ intent to leave. The study also revealed that work conditions only
affected intent to leave through work-related fatigue, confirming that the major determinant of
intent to leave is work-related fatigue. With these new findings, Liu et al. (2016) suggested that
nurse managers should pay more attention to the long overtime hours or working hours of new
nurses. To enhance the intent to stay for new nurses, several strategies were recommended such
as: enactment of a regular evaluation of the level of workload and work-related fatigue of new
nurses working more than 10 hours per day, implementation of fatigue reduction strategies for
new nurses, and reevaluation of mentors on the new nurses’ training program.
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Recommendations for Further Research
Liu et al. (2016) recommended that further studies should be focused on changes in
work-related fatigue over time so that a trend in fatigue changes can be observed and strategies
to mediate fatigue can be developed to enhance new nurses’ intention to stay in their jobs.
3. Within nursing, there has been debate regarding the source of the theories used
in nursing research. Should nursing research utilize nursing theories, non-
nursing theories, or a combination of the two? Explain your answer.
Nurses utilized theories from other disciplines in order to expand knowledge for nursing
practice. This included theories from psychology, physiology, sociology, medicine, and physics,
to name a few, and then used those concepts and frameworks to develop theories specific to
nursing practice. There has been a crucial debate in the nursing discipline regarding the source
of the theories utilized in nursing research. According to McEwen and Wills (2014), there are
two schools of thought in existence as to whether nursing research should solely utilize nursing
theory only or non-nursing theories should be utilized as well in the aim of expanding nursing
knowledge. The first school of thought emphasized that nursing research should only use
nursing theories to ensure relevance, aptness and suitability to the nursing discipline. Proponents
of the sole use of nursing theory believe that only nursing models can truly detail the scope and
direction of nursing intervention (McEwen & Wills, 2014). The second school of thought, on the
other hand, believed that it is acceptable to use non-nursing models in nursing research as long as
it can be adapted to be relevant to the discipline of nursing.
I believe that a combination of the two, both nursing and non-nursing theories should be
utilized in expanding nursing knowledge through research. Nursing is not a solitary discipline,
and a lot of the concepts that is utilized in nursing have been influenced by other disciplines as
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well. There are several examples of nursing theories that have been derived from solely a
nursing theory, drawn from a non-nursing theory or extracted from a combination of both. To
focus solely on nursing theory or theory from other disciplines will be too limiting and
shortsighted. Pamela Reed’s Self-Transcendence Theory was derived from the nursing theory
developed by Martha Rogers on the conceptual system of unitary human beings (Alligood,
2018). Imogene King’s Theory of Goal Attainment and Transactional Process, on the other hand,
was based on a non-nursing theory on General Systems Model by von Bertalanffy (McEwen &
Wills, 2014). Leininger’s Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality was derived from
the combination of the disciplines of anthropology and nursing (Alligood, 2018). Johnson’s
Behavioral System Model was inspired by Nightingale’s work but she also derived portions of
her theory from the works of Selye on stress, Grinker’s theory of human behavior, and Buckley
and Chin on systems theories (McEwen & Wills, 2014). Betty Neuman’s Systems Model used
concepts and theories from a number of disciplines to develop her theory, including Chardon and
Cornu on wholeness in systems, von Bertalanffy and Lazlo on general systems theory, Selye on
stress theory and Lazarus on stress and coping (McEwen & Wills, 2014).
Whether a nurse researcher utilizes nursing theories, non-nursing theories, or a
combination of the two in the pursuit of expanding nursing knowledge, it is important to
remember God being the ultimate source of wisdom, as reflected in Proverbs 2:6-8 (English
Standard Version), “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and
understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in
integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of His saints.”
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References
Alligood, M. R. (2018). Nursing theorists and their work (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
Liu, Y., Wu, L., Chou, P., Chen, M., Yang, L., & Hsu, H. (2016). The influence of work-related
fatigue, work conditions, and personal characteristics on intent to leave among new
nurses. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 48(1), 66-73. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu
Lokke, A., & Sorensen, P. D. (2014). Theory testing using case studies. The Electronic Journal
of Business Research Methods, 12(1), 66-74. Retrieved from
file:///C:/Users/fedes/Downloads/ejbrm-volume12-issue1-article335.pdf
McEwen, M., & Wills, E. M. (2014). Theoretical basis of nursing (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA:
Wolters Kluwer Health.
Yamauchi, L. A., Ponte, E., Ratliffe, K. T., & Traynor, K. (2017). Theoretical and conceptual
frameworks used in research on family–school partnerships. School Community Journal,
27(2), 9-34. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1165647.pdf
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