Assignment: Concept Analysis in the Literature

Review of research literature is a beneficial strategy that can be employed for concept analysis. In undertaking this strategy, you seek to understand how others have defined a particular concept, including the steps that have been utilized to arrive at this definition.

As members of the nursing field engage in multiple concept analyses, they can begin to develop consensus for concept definitions and/or revise them as necessary.

Note: The concept and practice problem you select will be your focus next week as well, when you explore the relationship between concept analysis and theory development.

To prepare:

Select a concept related to a practice problem of interest to you. You may use the concept and practice problem you selected for the Discussion.

Using the Walden Library, find and read at least two articles that demonstrate concept analysis for your selected practice problem.

Write a 2- to 3-page paper with a minimum of 4 references from the list of required readings below that summarizes the steps of the concept analysis process utilized in each article. Include in your summary the following information for each article:

1) What is the definition of the concept?

2) How could or does the definition differ from its use in nursing and health care versus in other disciplines?

3) What characteristics define the concept? How do these apply to nursing and clinical practice?