Final answer:
Nursing theory is integrated into education primarily to foster professional autonomy and to transmit foundational knowledge to future nurses, serving as a guide for nursing practice and defining the profession.
Step-by-step explanation:
Incorporating nursing theory into education is vital for several reasons, but a primary one is that it contributes to professional autonomy. Autonomy is an essential characteristic of a profession indicating a level of self-governance and control over one's practice. Nursing theory also plays a critical role in educating new professional nurses by transmitting knowledge that is essential to nursing practice. By understanding and utilizing these theories, nurses can provide care within the unique perspective of the nursing profession and articulate their practice to other disciplines. Moreover, a strong theoretical foundation in nursing aids in making informed decisions and delivers moral guidance for ethical dilemmas in medical practices.
Furthermore, learning about theories across disciplines such as sociology and economics can provide a broader understanding that, when applied to nursing, may enhance a nurse's ability to comprehend complex real-world issues related to health, behavior, and illness. A theory is not just a hypothesis; it is an evidence-based, extensively tested explanation designed to simplify and make sense of the world, whether in terms of social structures or economic variables. Therefore, the integration of nursing theory into a nurse's education is indispensable not only for professional development but also as a guide for practice and to help define the nursing profession itself.