Conclusion
Knowledge development in any discipline is a dynamic process that pursues probable truths about reality. It begins with creative approaches from multiple perspectives and continues by testing the knowledge according to appropriate truth criteria. In nursing, our “reality” is clinical practice, and we construct theories about probable truths related to the experience of health in the person-environment interaction. Development of a knowledge base is an iterative and ongoing process that requires periodic analysis and synthesis of an entire body of work. In an attempt to further the understanding of the current status of nursing theory, we provided an examination of the different levels of theory currently being used to develop nursing knowledge. This meta-theoretical discussion of theory is not meant to create artificial domains; rather, it is an attempt to understand the current status of nursing theory through clarification of the terminology and a discussion of the related categories of theoretical thinking. Perhaps more important, the final purpose of this article is to recognize the strength of our disciplinary knowledge base and generate public discussion about the future of theory development and testing.