The discipline of nursing: historical roots, current perspectives, future directions

Abstract

As advances in nursing science and research impact upon nursing education and clinical practice, new ways of looking at phenomena have led to a re-examination and refinement of the traditional concepts: person, environment, health and nursing. This evolving pattern of intellectual growth holds promise for the discipline of nursing through the advancement of knowledge based upon scientific inquiry into the practice of nursing. This paper discusses nursing as a discipline by examining the development of a unique body of knowledge from three viewpoints: historical past, current perspectives and future direction.

Relationship between critical thinking disposition and research competence among clinical nurses: A cross‐sectional study

“…Previous studies have indicated a low level of nursing research competence among clinical nurses (Corchön, ; Jing et al, ; Wang & Yang, ) and have reported positive correlations between nursing research competence and individual characteristics (i.e. age, educational level, nursing work experience, nursing research experience and research education experience) (Czerwinski et al, ; Dipn, ; Jing et al, ; Shaw, ; Smirnoff, Ramirez, Kooplimae, Gibney, & McEvoy, ).…”

“…Nursing is developing into an independent discipline and evidence‐based practice profession. Therefore, high‐quality nursing research calls for the construction of a knowledge base for the nursing discipline and evidence‐based practice (Polit & Beck, ; Shaw, ). Clinical nurses, who are the end‐users and producers of nursing research, play an important role in the consumer–producer continuum in nursing research.…”

Theoretical perspectives of nursing: a review of the literature

“…Despite the fact that she later denounced the prevailing notion that any woman could According to Shaw (1993) Nightingale was the first to delineate that which she considered nursing's goal and be a 'good' nurse, this concept predominated for over a century (McCloskey & Grace 1990). Following Nightingale the business of nurses was therefore seen as women's work, subordinate to medicine, caring for the sick, preventing all conditions detrimental to the health of the individual.…”

“…(Leininger 1984 pp. 4-5) Concerned at this apparent perpetual disagreement as to 'Care', according to Alexander et al (1989) in a personal the focus of nursing's work, which they contend has communication with Leininger, referred to: inhibited the development of nursing theory and consequently nursing as a profession, Yura & Torres (1975), phenomena related to assistive, supportive or enabling behaviour Donaldson & Crowley (1978), Fawcett (1978, Flaskerud & towards or for another individual (or group) with evident or antici-Halloran (1980) Meleis (1987) and later Shaw (1993), in pated needs to ameliorate or improve a human condition or examining the work of the major nurse theorists and, in lifeway.…”

“…Whilst Meleis (1987) advocates that sumer regarding the nature, goals and direction of nursing is, in the author's opinion, imperative. Gaining the user nurses should seek to identify ways in which the consumer can be involved in theory development, reminding us that perspective may not only assist in helping the profession define and refine a paradigm of nursing that is relevant clients are capable of having perceptions, meanings and interpretations of situations, she fails to acknowledge the and responsive to clients' needs, clearly desirable after 150 years of discussion and debate, but it may also help, 'to fact that the majority of definitions and descriptions of nursing currently used to direct nursing education, practice, extend the boundaries of nursing into the unexplored territory of the twenty-first century' (Shaw 1993(Shaw p. 1655). research and theory refinement, have never been verified as reflecting the patient's perspective, with the exception possibly of those developed by , Watson (1985) …”