An argument concerning the meaning and relevance of philosophical enquiries in nursing
In the search for nursing knowledge for practical, professional, academic and personal purposes, criteria for its identification need to be developed. The conceptualization of a nursing perspective emerges as a primary and fundamental task in this endeavour. Current attempts to develop nursing knowledge are often irrelevant, arbitrary, and inappropriate. The conviction that empirical methods of investigation alone cannot produce nursing knowledge has led to infrequent, generally fragmented and often confused attempts to clarify the meaning of philosophical enquiries in nursing. Most claims to a 'philosophy of nursing1 misrepresent ideological statements as philosophical concerns and obscure the essential meaning of philosophical enquiries. 'Nursing ethics' fail to engage in the criticism and analysis of moral arguments. Theory construction and development indicate essential philosophical concerns in nursing. It seems necessary to examine philosophers' explanations of the purposes of philosophy, the nature of philosophical problems, the methods used in philosophical enquiries, the contents of the discipline of philosophy, and its relationship with other disciplines. The potential development of nursing knowledge
SchrĂ¶ck, Ruth Antonie
Philosophy
An argument concerning the meaning and relevance of philosophical enquiries in nursing. In the search for nursing knowledge for practical, professional, academic and personal purposes, criteria for its identification need to be developed. The conceptualization of a nursing perspective emerges as a primary and fundamental task in this endeavour. Current attempts to develop nursing knowledge are often irrelevant, arbitrary, and inappropriate. The conviction that empirical methods of investigation alone cannot produce nursing knowledge has led to infrequent, generally fragmented and often confused attempts to clarify the meaning of philosophical enquiries in nursing. Most claims to a 'philosophy of nursing1 misrepresent ideological statements as philosophical concerns and obscure the essential meaning of philosophical enquiries. 'Nursing ethics' fail to engage in the criticism and analysis of moral arguments. Theory construction and development indicate essential philosophical concerns in nursing. It seems necessary to examine philosophers' explanations of the purposes of philosophy, the nature of philosophical problems, the methods used in philosophical enquiries, the contents of the discipline of philosophy, and its relationship with other disciplines. The potential development of nursing knowledge
argument concern mean relevance philosophical enquiry nursing search nursing knowledge practical professional academic personal purpose criterion identification need develop conceptualization nurse perspective emerges primary fundamental task endeavour current attempt_develop nurse knowledge often irrelevant arbitrary inappropriate conviction empirical method investigation alone produce nurse knowledge lead infrequent generally fragment often attempt_clarify mean philosophical enquiry nursing claim_philosophy nursing misrepresent ideological statement philosophical concern obscure essential meaning philosophical enquiry nursing ethic fail engage criticism analysis moral argument theory construction development indicate essential philosophical concern nursing seem necessary examine philosopher explanation purpose philosophy nature philosophical_problem method_use philosophical enquiry content discipline philosophy relationship discipline potential development nursing knowledge