COLLABORATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF MIDDLE-RANGE NURSING THEORIES - TOWARD ATHEORY OF UNPLEASANT SYMPTOMS

One promising approach to strengthening theory-research and theory-pra ctice linkages is to place greater emphasis on developing and using th eories of the middle range to underpin nursing research and practice. In this article, a postpositivistic definition of middle-range theory is advanced, an argument is made for shifting nursing's theory develop ment activities from discipline-defining grand theories to middle-rang e theories, and a collaborative and incremental approach to middle-ran ge theory development is described and illustrated. A sustained substa ntive example is provided by the beginning development of a theory of unpleasant symptoms.