Nursing as concrete philosophy, Part I: Risjord on nursing knowledge

Area of Science:

• Nursing Philosophy
• Epistemology
• Theory-Practice Gap

Background:

• The essentiality of nursing knowledge and theory for practice is debated.
• Mark Risjord's 2010 work identified a theory-practice gap in nursing.
• Risjord attributed this gap to logical positivism's influence on nursing scholarship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically examine Risjord's diagnosis and proposed solutions for the nursing theory-practice gap.
• To argue that nursing is fundamentally a philosophical activity.
• To propose that philosophy, not science, is the essential theory for nursing.

Main Methods:

• Critical analysis of Mark Risjord's arguments in "Nursing Knowledge: Practice, Science, Philosophy."
• Examination of the influence of philosophical conceptions (logical positivism, standpoint epistemology) on nursing theory.
• Philosophical argumentation to reframe the nature of nursing knowledge.

Main Results:

• Risjord's diagnosis of the theory-practice gap, stemming from a misconception of science, is contested.
• Risjord's proposed solution (standpoint epistemology and postpositivism) is deemed insufficient.
• The primary cause of the theory-practice gap is identified as the misconception of nursing as a science.

Conclusions:

• The theory-practice gap in nursing is not primarily a scientific problem but a conceptual one.
• Overcoming the gap requires recognizing and emphasizing the inherent philosophical nature of nursing.
• Philosophy is the essential theoretical framework for nursing practice and the discipline.