The art of nursing in a 'postmodern' context

Notions of the 'postmodern' pervade various fields of study, but have rarely been applied to the practice and theory of nursing. This paper uses some conceptions of the 'postmodern' to remedy this. Though there are many contested usages of the term, here 'postmodern' will be used broadly in a periodical sense to trace changes in society and culture from the 'modernism' of the 18th and 19th centuries to current concerns about 'postmodernism'. How these changes have been reflected in nursing practice and nursing theory will be explored. The changing use of the term 'modern' to describe up-to-date practice will be addressed in the course of this. It is suggested that contextualizing nursing as a social/cultural activity in this way offers perspectives which will help us untangle the conflicting agendas and issues which form the fabric of the social world in which current nursing takes place, enabling us to act more effectively in promoting our own professional agendas.