The utilization of nursing theories should serve as the foundation of policies that guide care for patients and those they love. The author of this paper explores linking conceptual elements within nursing theories to high-quality patient-centered care examples and policies. These linkages make clear how nursing knowledge may be utilized within healthcare systems that value patient-centered care. These patient-centered care policies need to be explicit about the contributions of nurses to healthcare, regardless of setting.
Keywords: best practices; nursing policy; nursing theory; patient-centered care.