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The History Of Philosophical Foundation Nursing Essay
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Nursing knowledge includes philosophies, theories, and science. All three components relate to one another in the nursing process. Research and knowledge serve as a framework within which theories and philosophies develop; theories rely on philosophical thinking, which then propels nurses to theorize (McIntyre & McDonald, 2013). Individuals decide which philosophies they will live and practice by. Butts and Rich (2011) described theory as practice, for without practice there would be no theory, no questions, and no ideals to adhere to. Nurses must understand the importance of the above three components in order to propel their practice.
Throughout history, philosophy has played a major role in developing the field of nursing. Philosophy shapes nurses’ identities, belief systems, and practices. Butts and Rich (2011) described philosophy as the application of beliefs to different situations that may arise, whether familiar or unfamiliar. Nurses daily encounter both routine and emergent situations; their philosophies and experiences guide them in their professional decision making. These decisions evolve and progress based on professional growth and how individual nurses’ professional philosophies have changed over time.
One philosophy of science is positivism. Empiricism and positivism have often been linked to make the claim that reality can be studied and understood through research and science (Bally, 2012). Although empiricism can describe events, it lacks the ability to explain them and describe the “why” of situations. Positivism, though adopted relatively early by the nursing field, at that point conflicted with nursing’s ideals and goals. Positivism was critiqued for lacking subjectivity, as well as for its inability to align individuals’ social and spiritual aspects with the focus of nursing (Clark, 1998).
Thomas Kuhn contributed to historicism in nursing by providing insight into knowledge development that was lacking in positivism (Butts & Rich, 2011). Kuhn argued that theories and knowledge should be understood within their historical contexts (Rodriguez & Kotarba, 2009). Historicism falls into the paradigm of perceived view. The notion of perceived view is based on the belief that facts and principals are embedded in history or cultural settings (Giuliano, Tyer-Viola, & Lopez, 2005). In addition, historicism argues that the influence of science history guides scientific progress (Giuliano, Tyer-Viola, & Lopez, 2005).
Yet another philosophy of science is hermeneutics. Nursing itself is hermeneutic or interpretative in nature. Hermeneutics can reveal beliefs, values, and commitments (Charalambous, 2010). Nurses can be understood as interpreters of patients’ stories; nurses can interpret vital signs and subjective clues such as body language to enable better patient care.
Reading patient’s histories, which employs historicism, can also play an im……………………………….
