Peplau’s (1952) theory and rural nursing can both be useful,
particularly in the process of the nurse-patient relationship
and to provide foundations for further nursing research.
According to Koloroutis (2010), the nurse-patient relationship
is the foundation for excellent care delivery. Nurse
accountability for a therapeutic relationship with a patient is
essential in achieving quality outcomes. These perspectives
are different, but have the common themes of empathy,
nurse-patient relationships, listening, and advancing healthpromoting
behavior. Peplau’s (1952) theory can be used in
nursing specialties as the nurse patient relationship is the
main dimension. Her theory has been widely tested and
evidenced-based practice has evolved through qualitative
and quantitative research based on her theory. The concepts
of rural nursing are based on statements about rural individuals’
beliefs, the environment in which they live, and
their social systems. The metaparadigm of nursing seems to
be lacking definitions in the literature of rural nursing.
One main difference between rural nursing and Peplau’s
(1952) theory is that rural nursing needs to be developed
much further with evidence for it to be accepted and disseminated
in nursing practice. Winters and Lee (2010) relayed
that a revision of rural nursing. Another difference in rural
nursing and Peplau’s theory is that rural nursing is limited to
certain rural populations, and cannot be generally applied in
many other types of nursing. Nurses can certainly apply
some rural nursing concepts when caring for rural dwellers