Philosophy of Nursing

Assignment: Philosophy of Nursing

What is your philosophy when it comes to nursing? Which aspects of your philosophy do you think reflect the philosophical influences that have shaped the profession and are likely shared by other nurses? Which aspects of your philosophy reflect your personal values, beliefs, experiences, and unique perspective? How is your philosophy demonstrated through your practice?

This Assignment provides an opportunity for you to examine your philosophy of nursing within the context of the information presented this week.

To prepare:

• Review the information presented in the Learning Resources with your own philosophy of nursing in mind. Focus on any new insights you gained from the readings and how they influence your philosophy.
• Reflect on how philosophy influences scientific approaches or knowledge development in nursing.
• Examine how positivism and post-positivism have influenced approaches to nursing science (including research methods) and nursing practice. Conduct additional research as necessary using credible websites and the Walden library.

By Thursday 06/08/17, write a 6- to 7-page APA paper with a minimum of 5 references from the list of required readings below that include the level one headings as numbered below:

1)       Introduction (must end with a purpose statement e.g. “the purpose of this paper is…”)

2)       Articulates your philosophy of nursing identifying the philosophical influences and summarizing how this week’s readings influenced your views/beliefs.

3)       Explains how nursing’s philosophical foundations influence your nursing practice and provides at least two specific examples.

4)       Answers the question: What is the relationship between philosophy and knowledge development? How is this evidenced in your nursing philosophy or practice?

5)       Outlines how positivism and post-positivism influences approaches to nursing science (including research methods) and nursing practice as well as your own personal philosophy.

6)       Conclusion (Summary of the paper)

Your written assignments must follow APA guidelines. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from appropriate Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate. Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association to ensure that your in-text citations and reference list are correct.

Required Readings

McEwin, M., & Wills, E.M. (2014). Theoretical basis for nursing. (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health.

Chapter 1, "Philosophy, Science, and Nursing"

 Chapter 1 introduces the scientific and philosophical foundations of nursing and how these contribute to knowledge development within the discipline of nursing.

Gray, J.R., Grove, S.K., & Sutherland, S. (2017). Burns and Grove’s the practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier.

Chapter 1, "Discovering the World of Nursing Research"

 Chapter 1 introduces nursing research and discusses how science, theory, and philosophy all influence research.

Chapter 2, "Evolution of Research in Building Evidence-Based Nursing Practice"

 Chapter 2 reviews the history of nursing research beginning with the work of Florence Nightingale and examines the influence of nursing research today on evidence-based practice.

Moran, K., Burson, R., & Conrad, D. (2017). The doctor of nursing practice scholarly project: A framework for success (2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Chapter 1, "Setting the Stage for the Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project"

Chapter 5, "The phenomenon of Interest"

Chapter 6, "Developing the Scholarly Project"

Isaacs, S., Ploeg, J., & Tompkins C. (2009). How can Rorty help nursing science in the development of a philosophical ‘foundation’? Nursing Philosophy, 10(2), 81-90. doi:10.1111/j.1466-769X.2008.00364.x

 Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

This article discusses the application of the Richard Rorty’s pragmatic philosophy to nursing practices and research.

Kinsella, E. A. (2010). Professional knowledge and the epistemology of reflective practice. Nursing Philosophy, 11(1), 3-14. doi:10.1111/j.1466-769X.2009.00428.x

 Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

 This article examines the philosophical underpinnings and epistemological assumptions of reflective practice in an effort to advance understanding for application in professional healthcare settings.

Mackay, M. (2009). Why nursing has not embraced the clinician-scientist role. Nursing Philosophy, 10(4), 287-296. doi:10.1111/j.1466-769X.2009.00416.x

 Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

 In this article, the role of the clinician-scientist and importance of clinical research for nursing is examined.

Persson, J. (2010). Misconceptions of positivism and five unnecessary science theoretic mistakes they bring in their train. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 47(5), 651-661. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2009.12.009

 Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

 This article discusses misconceptions of positivism and the implications of these misconceptions for nursing researchers.

Pesut, B., & Johnson, J. (2008). Reinstating the 'Queen': Understanding philosophical inquiry in nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 61(1), 115-121. doi: 10.1111/j.1365 -2648.2007.04493.x

 Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

 This article provides an analysis of the use of philosophical inquiry within nursing research. The article identifies characteristics of philosophical inquiry as well as common tools used in this methodology.

Porter, S. (2001). Nightingale’s realist philosophy of science. Nursing Philosophy, 2(1), 14-25. doi:10.1046/j.1466-769X.2001.00029.x

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

 In this article, Florence Nightingale's realist philosophy of science is compared to today’s dominant philosophy of positivism.

Optional Resources

Connor, M.J. (2004). The practical discourse in philosophy and nursing: An exploration of linkages and shifts in the evolution of praxis. Nursing Philosophy, 5(1), 54-66. doi:10.1111/j.1466-769X.2004.00159.x

 Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Chou, M., & Lee, L. (2007). Initial formation of nursing philosophies following fundamental clinical practice: The experience of male nursing students. Journal of Nursing Research, 15(2), 127-137.

 Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Effken, J. (2007). The informational basis for nursing intuition: Philosophical underpinnings. Nursing Philosophy, 8(3), 187-200.

 Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Mantzoukas, S., & Jasper, M. (2008). Types of nursing knowledge used to guide care of hospitalized patients. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 62(3), 318-326. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04587.x

 Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Mills, J., Chapman, Y., Bonner, A., & Francis, K. (2007). Grounded theory: A methodological spiral from positivism to postmodernism. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 58(1), 72-79. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04228.x

 Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Persson, J., & Sahlin, N. (2008). A philosophical account of interventions and causal representation in nursing research. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 46(4), 547-556. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2008.11.008

 Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

 Trochim, W. (2006). Research methods knowledge base: Positivism & post-positivism. Retrieved from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/positvsm.php