Dialectical analysis concerning the rational aspect of the art of nursing

It is often claimed that nursing is both a science and an art. Science, it is argued, involves a rational process in which empirical findings are used to determine what is the case. Art, on the other hand, is associated with creative and intuitive activities. The author steps back from this position and examines the question of whether the art of nursing is properly conceived as involving a rational aspect. The study upon which this paper is based involved the analysis of a discourse contained in the work of 43 nurse scholars, published between 1860 and 1992. A philosophical approach is used to examine two contrary positions regarding the place of the rational aspect in relation to the art of nursing. The analysis attempts to expand the discourse by delineating questions and concerns that, as yet, have not been fully considered.