A nurse is testing meditation for migraine headaches and the expected outcome of care when performing this intervention. Which type of theory is the nurse using?

A) Grand
B) Prescriptive
C) Descriptive
D) Middle-range

A prescriptive theory details nursing interventions (meditation) for a specific phenomenon (migraine headaches) and the expected outcome of the care. Grand theories are broad in scope and complex and require further specification through research; it does not provide guidance for specific nursing interventions. Descriptive theories do not direct specific nursing activities but help to explain patient assessment. A middle-range theory tends to focus on a concept found in a specific field of nursing, such as uncertainty, incontinence, social support, quality of life, and caring, rather than reflect on a wide variety of nursing care situations.