A classical view of the theory-practice gap in nursing

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Science
• Nursing Epistemology

Background:

• The persistent theory-practice gap in nursing is often attributed to the assumption that theory must be directly applicable to practice.
• This assumption overlooks the distinct nature of practical knowledge, as understood by ancient Greek philosophy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically examine the relationship between theory and practice in nursing.
• To challenge the notion that nursing theory is equivalent to science and directly applicable to practice.

Main Methods:

• Historical and philosophical analysis of the terms 'theory' and 'practice' from ancient Greek origins.
• Conceptual analysis of practical knowledge using examples like bicycle riding and piano playing.

Main Results:

• Ancient Greeks distinguished between theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge (techne), with the latter not reducible to theoretical terms.
• Practical knowledge, essential in nursing, is distinct from theoretical knowledge and cannot be directly taught or represented through theory.
• The claim that nursing theory (e.g., normative models) is science is inaccurate; it represents flawed attempts to codify inexpressible practical knowledge.

Conclusions:

• The concept of 'applied theory' in nursing is misleading due to the fundamental differences between theoretical and practical knowledge.
• Nursing is fundamentally practice, and the term 'nursing theory' may be oxymoronic, as current theoretical models inadequately represent practical wisdom.
• A proper relationship exists where science informs nursing, but this is distinct from the mischaracterization of nursing theory as science.