Practical discourse in nursing: going beyond empiricism and historicism

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Philosophy of Science

Background:

• Recent nursing research in Advances in Nursing Science addresses metatheoretical concerns.
• Nurses are beginning to examine the philosophical traditions guiding research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically appraise recent works on metatheoretical concerns in nursing science.
• To advocate for extending metatheoretical analysis by reviewing historical philosophical development.
• To highlight the importance of postempiricist philosophy and continental philosophy for nursing's scientific advancement.

Main Methods:

• Critical appraisal of existing literature in nursing science.
• Review of historical stages in empiricist and postempiricist philosophy.
• Analysis of continental philosophy's focus on practical discourse.

Main Results:

• Nursing scholarship is increasingly engaging with metatheoretical issues.
• Historical philosophical analysis provides a foundation for understanding research traditions.
• Postempiricist and continental philosophy offer pathways beyond historicist limitations.

Conclusions:

• Nursing must extend its metatheoretical analysis by engaging with philosophical history.
• Continental philosophy's emphasis on practical discourse is crucial for rational scientific development in nursing.
• Advancing nursing science requires transcending historicist insights through deeper philosophical engagement.