High-range, or grand theories, offer broad, overarching explanations of phenomena. They are abstract and encompass a wide range of situations. Think of them as grand tapestries, weaving together complex elements of a discipline. An example in nursing might be Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory, which emphasizes the impact of the environment on patient outcomes (McEwen & Wills, 2023).
Middle-range theories bridge the gap between grand theories and specific situations. They address a more focused area within a discipline, making them more readily testable and applicable in research. Benner’s Model of Skill Acquisition in nursing, where expertise develops when the clinician tests and refines propositions, hypotheses, and principle-based expectations in actual practice situations (McEwen & Wills, 2023).
Low-range theories, also known as situation-specific theories, are highly focused on specific situations or interventions. Think of them as seeking explanations for occurrences in hospitals. Our textbook gave us several examples and one ofthem is the Theory of Caregiver stress, concerning the relationship of caregiver’s stress and their environment with their role (McEwen & Wills, 2023).
Middle-range theories are particularly valuable in nursing research because they translate grand ideas into actionable steps. They provide a framework for developing research questions, designing studies, and interpreting results.
An example research article I found was, Integrating Symptoms Into the Middle-Range Theory of Self-Care of Chronic Illness (Riegel et al., 2019), where they sought to expand on their Theory of Self-Care of Chronic illness from 2012 which was further deduced from Orem’s grand theory of Self-care Deficit Theory (McEwen & Wills, 2023). This study highlights the evolving nature of research and the works of nurse theorists. The purpose of their paper was to identify improvements that can be made in their original study. Their appraisal determined their concept of self-care is undeveloped and they want to improve upon it with knowledge from other middle range theories that concern symptom management (Riegel et al., 2019).
In conclusion, high-, middle-, and low-range theories offer different levels of explanation and application. Middle-range theories, in particular, provide a vital bridge between grand ideas and specific nursing practice, informing research and ultimately leading to better patient care.
McEwen, M., & Wills, E. M. (2023). Grand Nursing Theories Based on Human Needs. In E. M. Wills (Ed.), Theoretical basis for nursing (6th ed.).Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Riegel, B., Jaarsma, T., Lee, C. S., & Strömberg, A. (2019). Integrating Symptoms Into the Middle-Range Theory of Self-Care of Chronic Illness. ANS. Advances in nursing science, 42(3), 206–215. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANS.0000000000000237
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