Theories are the framework of nursing. Although some were meant for other disciplines, they are very useful in clinical nursing practice. These non-nursing theories along with nursing theories incorporate a world of nursing that produces positive outcomes not only for patients but also for nurses as they strive to render quality care to patients. Nursing has also shared borrowed theories that were pertinent to mental health, for example, that aid nurses in being aware of what is going on holistically with patients.
As a nurse, one borrowed theory is the Role Theory from Sociology. This theory is considered an interactionist framework in which social interaction connects individuals to each other and to society. Role Theory suggests that everyone occupies a social status but plays a role (Lindesmith & Strauss, 1968). This role is determined by what social position the person resides in. The basic idea is that individuals have various roles in life and that these roles come with methods on how an individual should fulfill their duties in this social position. Human experience, according to role theory, can be conceptualized in terms of discrete patterns of behavior that suggest a particular way of thinking, feeling, or acting (Frydman, 2016). Role is one name for these patterns. It is how the individual interfaces with the world. The patterns one possesses provides a rationale for interaction. How we see ourselves in context is dependent on the coordination and understanding of our experiences.
Social influences have a strong impact on wellness and the health of patients. Within this social place, there are classes of individuals that are known by their characteristics, gender, ethnicity, and education level. For example, as an advanced clinical practice nurse, the roles expected are teacher, advocate, healthcare provider, clinical assessor, etc. As each role is fulfilled, the advanced clinical practice nurse gets to know her role as well as be able to gain knowledge from experiences that he or she has had to deal with and possess the ability to further educate future patients that may have encountered the same experience. This can enhance clinical practice by the provider gaining more knowledge and understanding of the specified roles in this chosen profession. Thus, the defining characteristics of a role must be drawn from what the role is not.
While in each role, there are levels of rights, duties, and expectations that each party, patient and healthcare provider, experiences because of being in this position. Role Theory does not provide a transparent view of the individual’s personality; rather, it demonstrates a single part of a greater whole. This presentation allows for further significance of role as the individual possesses a whole host of roles and is dependent upon their fluidity in order to maintain a multidimensional view of existence (Frydman, 2016).
References
Lindesmith, A., & Strauss, A. (1968). Social psychology. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Frydman, A. S. (2016). Role theory and executive functioning: Constructing cooperative paradigms of drama therapy and cognitive neuropsychology. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 47, 41-47.
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