Putting theory into practice: problems and prospects*

The apparent gap between theory and practice in nursing seems to be widening as it is becoming increasingly difficult for nurses to manage multiple theories and conflicting knowledge claims for their use in practice. Scientific pluralism in nursing provides, on the one hand, a rich array of knowledge about human phenomena and ways of dealing with nursing problems, while on the other a set of theoretical choices available for knowledge-use in practice. This paper presents four ideal-type modes of theory application as viable forms for nurses in practice to deal with theoretical pluralism.