MIDDLE RANGE TEORY OF OCULAR DRYNESS
KEYWORDS: Dry eye syndromes; Exposure Keratopathy; Nursing Theory; Nursing
Introduction: Dry eye is a multifactorial tear film and ocular surface syndrome, characterized by tear film instability due to decreased tear production and / or evaporative precipitation. It results in discomfort and visual disturbances, as well as precedes more serious problems. Ocular dryness, in turn, is an unwanted human response to these changes and is inferred by a positive tear film volumetry test, associated with an ocular signal and / or symptom. Because it is a phenomenon that is little discussed in nursing, there is a need to elaborate the theoretical knowledge that allows the profession to understand all the factors that influence the drying process. General objective: Elaborate a medium-range theory of ocular dryness. Specific objectives: To describe the phenomenon of ocular dryness; identify the concepts related to the ocular dryness process; establish theoretical relations between concepts; modeling the drying process by Horta's human needs theory; Elaborate proposal for the Nursing Diagnosis Ocular Dryness. Methodology: This is a theoretical, descriptive-exploratory study. For the elaboration of the theory, the model of Walker and Avant (2005) will be followed that will base the analysis of the ocular dryness concept, the synthesis of the affirmations and the derivation of theory. The first phase will be the realization of a Scoping Review of the ocular dryness concept, by the steps advocated by Askley and O'maley (2005). The search will begin with the bases SCIELO and SCOPUS, initially controlled through the use of the descriptors: Dry Eye Syndromes and Dry Keratoconjunctivitis. From this first search, key words will be identified and a broad search will be made in the literature. After the review the second phase of the study will consist of an analysis of the central concept where it will be decomposed and the adjacent concepts will be identified. The third phase, also based on the data found in the Scoping Review, will be the identification of the theoretical relations on the concepts found in the previous phase. After the revision and structuring of the theory with regard to concepts and relations, a modeling will be carried out through the theoretical derivation of Horta's Human Needs Theory. Once the theoretical framework is finalized, the fourth phase of the study will be carried out, which is the construction of a proposal for the nursing diagnosis Ocular Dryness