Deriving a Theory for Nursing on Uncertainty in Cardiac Inherited Disease

Existential uncertainty dominates the patient experience in cardiac inherited diseases due to unpredictable disease course and the risk of sudden cardiac death. Traditional uncertainty theoretical models inadequately capture the unique facets of uncertainty associated with these diseases. Using Walker and Avant’s theory derivation method, an uncertainty theory for nursing practice was developed by adapting concepts from self-organized criticality and grounding them with Parse’s Human Becoming Theory within the Unitary Transformative Paradigm. This innovative synthesis enhances the understanding of uncertainty factors among vulnerable patients, potentially improving nurses’ capacity to provide holistic, person-centered care and develop targeted clinical interventions addressing existential concerns.