Abstract
This paper examines misconceptions surrounding the use of theory in qualitative research. To advance nursing knowledge, nurse researchers using qualitative approaches must describe if and how their work is informed by the concepts and theoretical lenses of the nursing perspective. Nursing research is informed by a philosophical view consistent with the discipline’s focus on caring, creating opportunities for mutual dialogue, and facilitating humanization – a connection that is particularly evident in qualitative approaches. In this paper, we discuss the importance of integrating nursing knowledge to guide study design and the interpretation of findings to develop, extend, or refute nursing theory.