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Seeking balance to dialectic tensions in teaching through philosophic inquiry
1Georgia Baptist College of Nursing, Atlanta 30312, USA.
Image--The Journal of Nursing Scholarship
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Nurse educators face epistemological tensions between empirical knowledge and personal meaning in teaching. Understanding these conflicts is crucial for preparing future nurses and advancing healthcare.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Philosophy of Science
- Cultural Criticism
Background:
- Nursing education aims to prepare new nurses within a specific cultural and educational environment.
- Understanding the underlying philosophical and epistemological underpinnings of this environment is essential for effective pedagogy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore epistemological tensions in nursing education from educators' perspectives.
- To propose a method for cultural criticism of nursing's educational environment.
- To examine the consequences of these tensions on preparing new nurses.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative, naturalistic, and philosophic research design.
- In-depth interviews with six nurse educators in a traditional BSN program.
- Exploration of educators' experiences as creative and innovative teachers.
Main Results:
- Three major themes emerged: positivist work culture, reconciliation of tensions, and personal repercussions.
- Educators manage dialectic tensions through suppression, subordination, or equilibrium.
- Risk-taking propensity and personal sense of tension influence reconciliation strategies.
Conclusions:
- Philosophical conflicts arise in nursing due to valuing both empirical knowledge and personal meaning.
- Increased awareness of contradictory perspectives is key to moving beyond these tensions.
- Critically examining the transmission of professional nursing culture is necessary for future nursing practice and healthcare advancement.