Includes bibliographical references (515-705) and indexes.

Theory: who needs it... what is it? -- On the way to theoretical nursing -- From can't to Kant -- Toward the development of the discipline of nursing -- Nursing perspective -- The domain of nursing knowledge -- Bedpans and Spinoza -- Patterns of knowing -- Hypatia, Hatshepsut, and nurses as scholars -- Nursing theory -- Strategies for concept development -- Strategies for theory development -- A model for evaluation of theories -- On nursing clients -- On human being-environment interactions -- On interactions -- On nursing therapeutics -- Theoretical thinking and practical wisdom -- Analysis of theoretical writing in nursing -- Metatheory and theory bibliography.