NUR 7004 - Theoretical Foundations for Nursing Practice: Theoretical Framework

As the primary index for the nursing literature, CINAHL is the place to begin your search for articles if you are using a nurse's theory or model.  If someone who is not a nurse proposed the theory, start by checking the primary literature index for that particular theorist's discipline (e.g., psychology or education).  Use the Subject List of Databases to find appropriate databases for disciplines other than nursing.

Many of the grand nursing theories have their own subject headings in CINAHL.  If a subject heading for the theory exists, you can usually find it by checking the "Suggest Subject Terms" box and then typing the theorist's last name in the top search blank. Searching a theory as a Major Subject Heading or Major Concept (MM) will retrieve articles that provide details about the theory itself.  Citations that include the theory name as a Minor Subject Heading indicate articles in which the theory has been applied in the research.

If you don't find a subject heading for your specific theory or model, you can try various combinations of the following broad major subject headings:

Each of these terms on their own retrieve thousands of results; add relevant keyword(s), phrase(s), or name(s) to the search using AND to narrow it down.

• (MM "Models, Theoretical+") 
• (MM "Nursing Theory+") 
• (MM "Conceptual Framework+")

(The plus sign means they have been exploded to include any more specific terms classified under the broad heading).

If you add your own keywords or phrases to the above searches and it narrows your retrievals too much, change the MM to MH and this will broaden the search to retrieve more results.  MM searches for the term as a major subject heading, while MH searches for the term as a major or a minor subject heading.

Use the yellow/gold FindIt button in CINAHL rather than EBSCO's full text limit.  Using EBSCO's full text limit actually eliminates much of the full text you would otherwise be able to access as a Wright State student.  FindIt! will also allow you to determine if we have the article on the shelf in print if it is not available online.  FindIt! also includes the interlibrary loan link so that you can request the article for free from another library if Wright State doesn't have it at all.  (Please allow at least a week for processing and delivery if you are requesting an article through interlibrary loan).

Browse all research guides (guides for other relevant subjects such as medicine, anatomy, education, and psychology)

Or use these related research guides: