Introduction
Nursing theories are crucial in research and medical practice, providing a platform for evaluating key practices. As the nursing disciple undergoes changes associated with evolution, there is a greater need for knowledge development. Nursing theories contribute to evidence-based nursing and provide insights that enable medical practitioners to effectively undertake their roles. The midrange theory has been found useful in various applications, including managing clinical problems, as evidenced by Beck’s theory of Postpartum Depression (PPD).
Description of the Selected Theory
Metatheory and grand theory were developed in nursing as a result of early attempts to define the boundaries of nursing’s domain and to describe the phenomena that interested nurses. While these helped set nursing apart from other fields and clarify its ontological ideals, they offered little guidance for nursing research and even less for actual nursing practice.
Midrange theory can be derived either (deductively) from grand theory or (inductively) from concepts based on actual research (Lasiuk & Ferguson, 2005). The middle-range theory was chosen because it provides a comprehensive approach to knowledge development, revealing how PPD research has grown and its impact on clinical medicine. It is effectively used to explore, describe, and forecast actual phenomena relevant to a discipline (Risjord, 2019). The midrange theory was used by Lasiuk and Ferguson (2005) to examine Beck’s theory of Postpartum Depression (PPD). This theory boosts efficiency and effectiveness since it generates a wide variety of theoretical problems and testable ideas, making it a good study area.
Summary of the Study
In the article, “From Practice to Midrange Theory and Back Again: Beck’s Theory of Postpartum Depression,” the authors provide a theoretical review as context for a discussion of midrange theory, including its history, significance in advancing nursing practice expertise, and the assessment criteria for midrange theory. After introducing Beck and her PPD theory, the authors argue that it is a model of a substantial midrange nursing theory and detail her research program on PPD (Lasiuk & Ferguson, 2005). The study documents Beck’s steps from recognizing a clinical problem, doing exploratory-descriptive research, conducting concept analysis and midrange theory formulation, to applying and validating the theory in the therapeutic context.
Application of the Theory in This Study
The authors used the midrange theory to evaluate the foundations, progress, and applications of Beck’s theory of PPD to show how it fits in nursing research. The efficiency of the PPD analysis theory was validated by showing how it is empirically adequate as it contributes to effective tests and provides consistent knowledge development in the nursing field (Lasiuk & Ferguson, 2005). These results align with the foundations of the midrange theory, thereby proving that Beck’s PPD theory exemplifies it.
Weaknesses
Although the researchers demonstrated how Beck’s PPD theory fits within the definition of the midrange theory, one weakness emerged from their deductions and conclusions. The assumption that Beck’s theory fills the theory-practice gap in the evaluation of PPD is somewhat inaccurate (Risjord, 2019). This is primarily because the extensive research done by Beck has not yet led to a long-term solution for PPD as a problem affecting the entire society since most of the research focused on women alone. However, this limitation does not detract from the study’s application in evidence-based practice.
Conclusion
In this study, the authors proposed that Beck’s theory serves as a model for robust midrange nursing theory. Beck’s concept of PPD has been strengthened via continued refining and testing, which has made it more applicable to a wide range of clinical contexts, and new difficulties have been identified on an ongoing basis. By focusing on the midrange theoretical foundation, Beck’s PPD research program has made important contributions to clinical care knowledge and furthered the field of nursing.
References
Lasiuk, G. C., & Ferguson, L. M. (2005). From practice to midrange theory and back again: Beck’s Theory of Postpartum Depression. Advances in Nursing Science, 28(2), 127–136. Web.
Risjord, M. (2019). Middle‐range theories as models: New criteria for analysis and evaluation. Nursing Philosophy, 20(1), e12225. Web.
