Theory creates a way to organize knowledge. It allows for the integration of knowledge from other disciplines that can inform and expand the sphere of understanding from a nursing perspective. Theory is not static. Rather, it is iterative, dynamic and evolving. It must be continually updated and informed by practice and research.
Theory helps to clarify existing knowledge and direct new discoveries.
Through synthesis and reflection, nurses are able to develop the content of the discipline and create the bridge between theory and practice. Theory helps to illuminate practice. It creates the disciplinary knowledge needed to guide clinical judgments, actions and articulate clinical outcomes that acknowledge a disciplinary contribution to global health. Theory should reflect reality. It is only then that it is clinically useful.