Nursing as a Science, Profession, Discipline and Philosophy PDF

29/08/2024 What is a Science? NURSING AS A SCIENCE, AS A PROFESSION, A DISCIPLINE AND A PHILOSOPHY 1...

29/08/2024 What is a Science? NURSING AS A SCIENCE, AS A PROFESSION, A DISCIPLINE AND A PHILOSOPHY 1 2 ◦A science is concerned with cause ◦SCIENCE is both a process and a and effect product: ◦A science is a way of explaining 1. as a PROCESS,- science follows observed phenomena systematic inquiry and observations of the natural ◦A science has a system of world. gathering, verifying, and systematizing information about 2. as a PRODUCT- it is grounded reality and tested in experience and is the result of investigative efforts. 3 4  29/08/2024 CHARACTERISTICS OF SCIENCE Coherence Definite fields of knowledge Expressed in universal statements CLASSIFICATION OF Statements must be true or probably true SCIENCE Must be logically ordered Must explain its investigations & arguments All of these criterion is present in Nursing, therefore, Nursing is a Science (hence the degree, Bachelor of Science in Nursing) 5 6 Natural sciences Chem, Physics,Biology, Geology, Physiology, Meteorology Some sciences defy classification. Consider; Basic/Pure Sciences Math, Logic, Chem, Physics ◦Computer Science -applied or English perhaps pure Human/Social Psych, Anthro, Socio, ◦Law- is certainly a practice science Science Eco,Pol.sci, History, Religion but is also a social science Applied Science Architecture, Eng’g,Med.,Pharmacolog y, Law 7 8  29/08/2024 ◦Nursing draws concepts from all other branches of science. ◦Although it has a lot of NURSING AS AN characteristics of a human or ACADEMIC social science, it is more of an applied or practical science DISCIPLINE (Oldnall, 1995) 9 10 ◦It is worthy to note that academic ◦A DISCIPLINE is a field of inquiry disciplines aim to “know” characterized by a unique (theoretical) and their theories are perspective and a distinct way of descriptive in nature. Their research viewing phenomenon (Parse, 1999) is both basic and applied ◦It is a branch of educational ◦Conversely, professional disciplines instruction or a department of are practical (skill application) in learning. nature, and their research tend to 2 kinds of discipline: be more prescriptive and 1. Academic discipline- ex. History descriptive (Donaldson & Crowley, 2. Professional discipline- ex. Law 1978) 11 12  29/08/2024 Nursing as a distinct discipline can be identified by: ◦Identifiable philosophy ◦At least one conceptual ◦In general, nursing's knowledge framework(perspective) for base draws from many delineation of what can be disciplines defined as nursing ◦Therefore, it is not just a ◦Acceptable methodologic approaches for the pursuit professional discipline but an and development of academic discipline as well knowledge 13 14 ◦Occupation- is a job or career ◦Profession- is a learned vocation or occupation that has a status of superiority and precedence within a division of work ◦A profession must also have an What is the difference between institutionalized goal or social a profession and an occupation? mission as well as a group of scholars, investigators, or researchers who work to continually advance the knowledge of the profession with the goal of improving practice. 15 16  29/08/2024 ◦Until recently, nursing was viewed as an occupation rather than a “All professions are profession occupations, but not all ◦Nursing has had difficulty being occupations are deemed a profession because professions.” Logan the services provided by nurses (2004) have been perceived as an extension of those offered by wives and mothers. ◦Historically, nursing has been seen as subservient to medicine 17 18 Although the debate is ◦Autonomy in practice is ongoing, it can be incomplete because nursing is successfully argued that still dependent on medicine nursing is an aspiring, to direct much of its practice. evolving profession- Logan ◦It is only recently that nursing (2004), Smith (2000), Schwirian (1998), Rutty (1998), was able to identify and organize professional knowledge. 19 20  29/08/2024 Characteristics of Nursing as a profession; 2. Power and authority over training & education 1. Has a defined body of knowledge have identifiable knowledge that requires formal, in-depth, and belongs to our profession alone (unique) specialized education from institutions of higher learning The knowledge of nursing profession is well organized around theories (basis) Knowledge is largely intellectual, requiring higher learning that can be taught (critical thinking) Nursing knowledge continues to build as more nursing research is conducted. 21 22 4. Altruistic service 3. Registration requirements for practice nurses are committed to service and doing good. Need to pass licensure exam Nursing provides something vital, Need to finish a BSN degree and often to groups who are unable comply with PRC requirements to meet their needs in other ways. before taking the exam 5. A code of ethics Need to maintain professional conduct in order to keep license 6. Autonomy 23 24  29/08/2024 7. Relevance to society What is Philosophy? Nursing exists to provide service to ◦ it tries to discover knowledge and truth others. and attempts to identify what is valuable and important. Nursing’s work is focused on the act of caring. Some branches of Philosophy: Health promotion, disease 1. Epistemology- study of knowledge prevention, and the care of 2. Logic- study of principles and methods individuals with altered health states of reasoning all provide valuable service to 3. Ethics- study of moral philosophy society. 4. Political philosophy-study of citizen and state 25 26 ◦Empiricism is founded on the belief ◦ The empiricists valued that what is experienced is what observation, perception by exists senses and experience as ◦Empiricism strives to explain nature sources of knowledge through testing of hypothesis and development of theories. ◦ Once measurement is ◦Empiricism focuses on determined, it is possible to test understanding the parts of the theories through whole in an attempt to understand experimentation or the whole observation which results in verification or falsification 27 28  29/08/2024 ◦Another philosophical Philosophy in the context of school of thought which has Nursing Profession relevance in nursing is Positivism which suggests ◦Many philosophers influenced that a complex whole can nursing but in general, be best understood in terms philosophy in the context of of its basic components nursing profession refers to the belief system of the profession and provides perspectives for practice, learning, and research 29 30 ◦ Great is the influence of philosophy ◦Nursing theories were in nursing. founded from philosophical ◦ In fact, the sources of nursing thoughts knowledge is backed by philosophical methodologies ◦The science of any discipline Recall: Empirical (scientific is tied to its philosophy knowledge), ◦Both science and Ethics (moral knowledge), philosophy is geared Esthetics (knowledge related to beauty and expression) and towards increasing Personal knowledge (knowledge knowledge gained from thought alone) 31 32  29/08/2024 NURSING PHILOSOPHY ◦ No single dominant philosophy has To conclude; prevailed in the discipline of nursing. ◦ Most common philosophy in nursing ◦Nursing is a science, addresses the major concepts of the discipline, setting forth beliefs about; what profession, a philosophy nursing is(epistemology), how to think about and a discipline and do nursing(methodology or means of acquiring knowledge), the relationships of nursing and the environment of nursing (logic, aesthetic, etc) 33 34