Fundamentals of Nursing Q 97
Which of the following is/are an example(s) of theoretical knowledge? Select all that apply.
A. Antibiotics are ineffective in treating viral infections.
B. When you take a patient's blood pressure, the patient's arm should be at heart level.
C. In Maslow's framework, physical needs are most basic.
D. When drawing medication out of a vial, inject air into the vial first.
E. Let the patient dangle his feet first before assisting him to stand or transfer.
Correct Answer: A, C
Theoretical knowledge consists of research findings, facts (e.g., “Antibiotics are ineffective . . .” is a fact), principles, and theories (e.g., “In Maslow’s framework . . .” is a statement from a theory). Instructions for taking blood pressure and withdrawing medications are examples of practical knowledge—what to do and how to do it. While practical knowledge is gained by doing things, theoretical knowledge is gained, for example, by reading a manual.
Option A: Theoretical knowledge teaches the reasoning, techniques and theory of knowledge.
Option B: Practical knowledge is the knowledge that is acquired by day-to-day hands-on experiences. In other words, practical knowledge is gained through doing things; it is very much based on real-life endeavors and tasks.
Option C: While theoretical knowledge may guarantee that you understand the fundamental concepts and have know-how about how something works and its mechanism, it will only get you so far, as, without practice, one is not able to perform the activity as well as he could.
Option D: Practical knowledge guarantees that you are able to actually do something instead of simply knowing how to do it.
Option E: Theoretical and practical knowledge are interconnected and complement each other — if one knows exactly HOW to do something, one must be able to apply these skills and therefore succeed in practical knowledge.