A RETRODUCTIVE THEORETICAL-MODEL OF THE PATHWAY TO CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY IN NURSES

Much of the research on chemical dependency in nurses over the past 25 years has been a-theoretical and has tended to focus on descriptive c haracteristics of nurses. This field of study lacks systematic knowled ge building and a useful theoretical base. This article focuses on the development of a middle range theory that begins to explicate the tra nsactions of the chemically dependent nurse with the environment and t he process through which nurses become addicted. Steiner's theory mode ls approach using retroductive inference was the method selected to de velop the theory. Theoretical work from Bandura, Jessor, and Pender we re used as source theories to develop the middle range theory presente d. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Company.