Nursing Theories and Nursing Practice

NURSING THEORY IN THE CONTEXT OF NURSING KNOWLEDGE The notion of paradigm can beuseful as a basis for understanding nursing knowledge. Paradigm is a global, general framework made up of assumptions about aspects of the discipline held by members to be essential in development of the discipline. The concept of paradigm comes from the work of Kuhn (1970, 1977), who used the term to describe models that guide scientific activity and knowledge develop-ment in disciplines. Kuhn set forth the view that sci- ence does not evolve as a smooth, regular, con-tinuing path of knowl-edge development overtime, but that there are periodic times of revo-lution when traditionalthought is challenged by new ideas, and “para-digm shifts” occur. Inaddition, Kuhn’s workhas meaning for nursing and other practice disci-plines because of his recognition that science is thework of a community of scholars in the context of so-ciety. Because paradigms are broad, shared perspec-tives held by members of the discipline, they are often called “worldviews.” Paradigms and worldviews of nursing are subtle and powerful, permeating all as-pects of the discipline and practice of nursing. Kuhn’s (1970, 1977) description of scientific de-velopment is particularly relevant to nursing today as new perspectives are being articulated, some tradi-tional views are being strengthened, and some views are taking their places as part of our history. As wecontinue to move away from the historical concep-tion of nursing as a part of medical science, develop-ments in the nursing discipline are directed by sev-eral new worldviews. Among these are fresh andinnovative perspectives on person, nursing, and knowledge development. Changes in the nursing paradigm are being brought about by nursing schol-ars addressing disciplinary concerns based on values and beliefs about nursing as a human science, caring in nursing, and holistic nursing.t are human inventions.

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