Hospice program development: the nurse as a change agent.
A theory is an explanation of the interrelation among facts, concepts, or propositions. A number of theories are used in the process of hospice program assessment, including nursing process, change systems, and role theory. Collaboration between systems is crucial to the development of a smooth-running, effective hospital-community network. As a result of the theories utilized, the tools and skills needed to effect change, the driving and restraining forces that need to be identified, and the need to focus on a specific goal have been described. Although the theories utilized in this hospice study will not predict the outcome of the project, they have provided us with structure that enables us to guide our action and organize our approach to program analysis.