Trail Pack: Nursing Theory Think Tanks: Bridges Between Knowledge and Action

Peggy L. Chinn, PhD, RN, FAAN

Writer’s Camp Senior Counselor

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Welcome to our monthly Trail Pack! This month we have an interesting article on the nursing theory think tanks, plus an original article, and video conversation with Peggy Chinn, Afaf Meleis, and Jacqueline Fawcett. If you are new to Trail Packs, they are multi-faceted learning experiences bringing together original research, a podcast/video, and a concise article written exclusively for Writer’s Camp that summarizes the original article and highlights its key insights. Begin with the short article, and when your curiosity is sparked, follow the trail to the full research report. The accompanying video offers a personal touch and shares the story behind how the study developed plus implications for writing and publishing. If you would like to receive 2 contact hours for reading and watching, you can! Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page for details. I hope you find this format both engaging and valuable. I would love to hear your feedback; please share in the comments below. — Leslie H. Nicoll, Camp Director

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Nursing Theory Think Tanks: Bridges Between Knowledge and Action

What might happen if scholars gathered—not to present, not to perform, not to produce measurable outcomes—but simply to think together?

In 1978, Margaret Newman invited about a dozen colleagues from across the United States to meet for a weekend at a hotel near a major airport hub. There was no formal agenda. No keynote speakers. No required deliverables. The purpose was both simple and profound: to engage in sustained, open dialogue about the development of nursing theory.

Two conferences held in Colorado and Kansas in the late 1960s had marked a decisive turning point for the discipline. Those gatherings formally launched nursing’s commitment to the deliberate development of nursing theory and signaled that building a distinct disciplinary knowledge base was both necessary and possible. They were catalytic events—public, purposeful, and foundational.

Not a Conference, but a Conversation

The Newman Theory Think Tanks, by contrast, were intentionally not conferences. They were not designed to launch movements or produce declarations. Instead, they created protected space for sustained, unstructured dialogue—spaces where ideas could be tested, reshaped, and deepened without the pressure to perform or conclude. If the earlier conferences ignited nursing’s theoretical movement, the think tanks quietly nurtured its growth.

There was only one purpose in coming together: to think deeply about nursing theory. The gatherings continued annually for the next ten years, with some shifts in participation over time. Each meeting began by reconnecting—sharing stories from our professional and personal lives. These moments of simple human exchange created the foundation for what followed. The atmosphere was congenial and generous, yet intellectually rigorous. We challenged one another respectfully, pressing ideas further than any one of us might have done alone.

Margaret (Dr. Newman) insisted that participation be by invitation only. This decision generated some controversy; many others would have liked to attend. Yet she was clear about her intention. She sought sustained dialogue among scholars who had already established a presence in theory-related scholarship and education aimed at strengthening nursing’s theoretical foundations. Participants came prepared—not merely with opinions, but with demonstrated commitment, productivity, and a willingness to engage deeply.

Scholars in Formation

At the time of the first think tank (1979), Margaret (Dr. Newman) had just completed her first book, Theory Development in Nursing.¹ Her foundational theory, Health as Expanding Consciousness, would be published several years later (1986).² Afaf (Dr. Meleis) was developing the early ideas that would become her Transitions Theory.³ Jacqueline (Dr. Fawcett) was conceptualizing the discipline’s metaparadigm.⁴ I (Peggy, Dr. Chinn) was preparing the first edition of the Chinn and Kramer text on theory development in nursing.⁵ We were each at formative stages of work that would shape our scholarly trajectories.

The Power of Intellectual Community

What we did not fully realize then was how profoundly those weekends would influence us. We now see how rare and formative that space was.

Our participation in the think tanks occurred early in our academic careers, and the experience proved pivotal. We were embarking on ambitious scholarly projects, often uncertain about how our ideas would be received. In that room, our thinking was taken seriously. The participants were connoisseurs of nursing theory—capable of recognizing potential, offering thoughtful critique, and encouraging persistence. Confidence grew not from praise alone, but from disciplined engagement and criticism.

If you are early in your scholarly journey, you may recognize this fragile and generative stage—the moment when ideas are forming but not yet fully articulated. It is precisely at this stage that thoughtful intellectual community matters most. 

Carrying the Work Forward

Today, there are resources that can inspire and encourage such community-building. The website Nursology.net grew out of discussions among members of the “Theory-guided Practice” Expert Panel of the American Academy of Nursing. Members of that group shared their concerns that nursing’s theoretical foundations were increasingly neglected as the dominance of medical and high-tech interventions were influencing education, practice and research.  The group did not have a specific purpose or mission—it was our “think tank” types of discussion that led to envisioning the website that exists today!  The history of that group’s founding and activities over 50 years is documented in the article included with this Trail Pack.

The Dr. Margaret A. Newman Center for Nursing Theory, established in 2023 at the College of Nursing, University of Tennessee Health Science Center—where Dr. Newman earned her undergraduate degree—now stands as a tangible legacy of her contributions to the discipline, and the influence of the think tanks that she organized. Her extensive collection of papers and memorabilia is archived there in a dedicated space that honors the spirit of dialogue that characterized her career.

In the spring of 2025, Newman Center Director Marie Gill organized a video interview with three of us who had participated in the think tanks—Afaf Meleis, Jacqueline Fawcett, and Peggy Chinn. Revisiting those experiences together reminded us how formative they were—not simply for our scholarship, but for our sense of belonging within the evolving discipline.  The recording of that interview is available here: click to watch.  We also made a shorter video reflecting on our experience, and sharing some ideas to encourage today’s scholars to form Think Tanks of your own which is part of this Trail Pack.

Forming Think Tanks Today

In an academic culture often driven by productivity, metrics, and performance, protected time for reflective dialogue is both rare and necessary. You need not replicate the Newman Think Tanks exactly. What matters is the intention—to gather with colleagues who will take your ideas seriously, challenge them thoughtfully, and support your intellectual growth.

We extend this invitation to emerging scholars: create spaces where you can think boldly together. Based on our experience, we offer these recommendations:

• Resist the urge to over-organize or formalize the experience. Leave room for emergence.
• Identify a guiding topic. It may be broad or focused, but it should anchor the conversation.
• Keep membership defined and limited. Think tanks are not classrooms; they are spaces for shared inquiry among those already engaged in the work.
• Schedule sufficient time for deep discussion. We recommend at least half-day sessions.
• Remove the gathering from the demands of daily life. The Newman Think Tanks were held in a central location, where we met for two full consecutive days—fully present with one another.

The bridge between knowledge and action is often built in quiet rooms—through conversation, challenge, and shared commitment.

Perhaps the next such room is one you create.

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References

1. Newman MA. Theory development in nursing. F.A. Davis Co; 1979.
2. Newman MA. Health as expanding consciousness. Mosby; 1986.
3. Meleis AI. Transitions Theory: Middle-Range and Situation-Specific Theories in Nursing Research and Practice. Springer Publishing Company; 2010.
4. Fawcett J. The metaparadigm of nursing: Present status and future refinements. Image Journal of Nursing Scholarship. 1984;16(3):84-87. doi:10.1111/j.1547-5069.1984.tb01393.x
5. Chinn PL, Kramer MK. Theory and Nursing: A Systematic Approach. Mosby; 1978.
   

Author: Peggy L. Chinn

Reviewed and Edited by: Leslie H. Nicoll

Copyright © Writer’s Camp and Peggy L. Chinn. CC-BY-ND 4.0

Citation: Chinn PL. Nursing theory think tanks: Bridges between knowledge and action. The Writer’s Camp Journal, 2(2):1. doi:10.5281/zenodo.19025284

AI Use Disclosure: ChatGPT was used to refine grammar and spelling, and to suggest changes in the composition of the original draft as follows: a stronger, more engaging opening hook; a deeper reflective tone throughout; slightly more narrative flow while preserving scholarly integrity. The author retains full responsibility for the content.