Mulford Health Science Library : Nursing Theory

Books Articles Web Resources

Books

Books are a great place to start for finding information on nursing theory. The Mulford Library holds several nursing theory books that you can check out.  Most nursing theory books can be found in the WY86 call number range in the 5th floor book stacks. To locate a specific nursing theory book, search the online catalog.  It is recommended that you search the catalog any one of the following ways: 

• Author Search - to find books or book chapters written by a specific theorist; i.e. "Leininger, Madeleine" or "Orem, Dorothea." 
• Title Search - enter the title of a specific work on nursing theory; i.e. "Nursing: Concepts of Practice" 
• Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) Search - to find books on the subject of nursing theory; some good subject headings to try include "Models, Nursing" or "Nursing Theory." 
• Keyword Search - If any of the above searches do not yield results, try entering different keywords. Keyword searching can be helpful when trying to pinpoint books that contain information on a specific theory; i.e. "Roy Adaptation Model." 

For further details on searching the catalog, consult the catalog help sheet.  

Not finding a book that you need?  Search the OhioLINK catalog and submit a request.  If OhioLINK doesn't have what you need, submit an interlibrary loan request.  Please do not hesitate to ask a librarian for assistance. Page top 

Articles 

Articles from scholarly journals provide in-depth research on nursing theories.  To locate articles that apply nursing theory to research and practice, consult the CINAHL database [click here if off-campus]. 

For detailed tips and how-to’s on searching CINAHL, consult the following help materials: 

• CINAHL Tutorial  [from CINAHL Support Center]
• Advanced CINAHL Search Tutorial
• Using CINAHL
• Step-by-Step Searching in CINAHL

Here are some tips on searching CINAHL for nursing theories: 

• Do a broad subject search for Nursing Theory or Theoretical Nursing Models.   
• Do an author search for articles written by a specific theorist. 
• Try a focused subject search on the specific theory you need; CINAHL has   several subject headings for different theoretical models including Orem Self-Care Model, Roy Adaptation Model, Watson's Theory of Caring, etc. 
• To really narrow down your search, combine a nursing theory subject heading with another subject heading.  For example, if you need information on Orem's theory and patients with cancer, combine the two subject headings of Orem Self-Care Model and Cancer Patients.  

To see a sample search of combining subject headings, consult either the Step-by-Step Searching in CINAHL guide or the Advanced CINAHL Search tutorial. 

Use interlibrary loan to request articles that are not in the library's collection, and have them delivered to you electronically from another library within 1-2 weeks. 

For any additional assistance, please do not hesitate to ask a librarian. Page top  

Web Resources

Notable Theorists

• Marie-Luise Friedemann - Framework of Systemic Organization [Florida International University]
• Madeleine Leininger - Transcultural Nursing [Transcultural Nursing Society]
• Betty Neuman - Neuman Systems Model
• Margaret Newman - Health as Expanding Consciousness
• Dorothea Orem - Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory [International Orem Society for Nursing Science and Scholarship]
• Martha Rogers - Science of Unitary Human Beings [Society of Rogerian Scholars]
• Sister Callista Roy - Roy Adaptation Model [Boston College - William F. Connell School of Nursing]
• Jean Watson - Caring Theory [Watson Caring Science Institute]

Additional links to information on other theorists can be found on the following comprehensive nursing theory sites:

• The Nursing Theory Page [University of San Diego - Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science]
• Nursing Theory Link Page [Clayton State University - School of Nursing]

Still not finding what you need on nursing theory? Ask a librarian for additional help. 

 Back to portal homepage