Changing philosophies: a paradigmatic nursing shift from Nightingale

Abstract

Objective: To consider the changing philosophical and theoretical construction of nursing which has moved from an initial focus on positivism and science, and undergone a paradigmatic shift so that it is now being interpreted by some nursing theorists in alternative ways.

Primary Argument: A theoretical review of some nursing theorists and a critical consideration of the wider concepts which have been influential in theoretical constructions gradually moving from the received (positivistic) to the perceived view. The perceived view encompasses the emergence and influence of non-positivist philosophies, which shift the theoretical focus away from causation to a more interpretive, unscientific standpoint, with foundations in phenomenology, humanism, holistic care and qualitative research. The paper demonstrates that many of the theories offered are esoteric, complicated and constructed in an academic way that tends to escape the everyday nurse practitioner.

Conclusion: That multiple options which capture the philosophies and ideologies of both paradigms should/could be considered.