Nursing Theorists and Their Work

Reviewer: Mary Ellen Wurzbach, RN, MSN, PhD(University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh)
Description: This book identifies major theoretical thinkers in nursing, reviews their ideas, lists their publications, discusses what has been written about them, and the major sources they used for their works. It also includes chapters about the analysis of nursing theories, terminology used in theory development, the history and philosophy of science, logical reasoning, theory development processes, and the evolution of nursing theory development.
Purpose: The purpose, as indicated by the authors, is to be a tribute to nurse theorists.
Audience: The book is written for nurses and nursing students, both graduate and undergraduate. The authors are very credible authorities on the subject of nursing theory.
Features: The book contains tables that explain portions of the theories. In addition, diagrammatic models of the theories and pictures of the theorists are provided in each chapter. The references are both historical and current, since many of the theorists did their beginning work in the 1960s. The appearance of the book is excellent. Unique features of the book are the bibliographies of the theorists' work, their sources, and other writers who have written about the theorists.
Assessment: This book is very useful for teaching both graduate and undergraduate nursing students. The current updated description of the theorists' backgrounds and theoretical sources, including a discussion of each theory, is very helpful for theory survey courses. It makes the theorists come alive for students. The extensive bibliographies of each theorist's writings, sources, and critiques of their work are very comprehensive. As a systematic overview of nursing theorists, this book has few rivals. The reviewer would definitely recommend purchase by nurses interested in nursing theory, graduate and undergraduate students, and nursing reference libraries.

Mary Ellen Wurzbach

This book identifies major theoretical thinkers innursing, reviews their ideas, lists their publications, discusses whathas been written about them, and the major sources they used for theirworks. It also includes chapters about the analysis of nursingtheories, terminology used in theory development, the history andphilosophy of science, logical reasoning, theory development processes,and the evolution of nursing theory development. The purpose, asindicated by the authors, is to be a tribute to nurse theorists. Thebook is written for nurses and nursing students, both graduate andundergraduate. The authors are very credible authorities on thesubject of nursing theory. The book contains tables that explainportions of the theories. In addition, diagrammatic models of thetheories and pictures of the theorists are provided in each chapter. The references are both historical and current, since many of thetheorists did their beginning work in the 1960s. The appearance of thebook is excellent. Unique features of the book are the bibliographiesof the theorists' work, their sources, and other writers who havewritten about the theorists. This book is very useful for teachingboth graduate and undergraduate nursing students. The current updateddescription of the theorists' backgrounds and theoretical sources,including a discussion of each theory, is very helpful for theorysurvey courses. It makes the theorists come alive for students. Theextensive bibliographies of each theorist's writings, sources, andcritiques of their work are very comprehensive. As a systematicoverview of nursing theorists, this book has few rivals. The reviewerwould definitely recommend purchase by nurses interested innursingtheory, graduate and undergraduate students, and nursing referencelibraries.

5 Stars! from Doody