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. Theory directs the nurse to uncover new knowledge about the human experience in a unique way. The testing and refinement of theory helps to generate information that can be used to fill the existing knowledge gaps needed to describe and explain the human experience of individuals, families, communities and groups.