What Constitutes Nursing as a Science? How Does It Differ from Medical Science?
An existing extensive theoretical foundation supported by practical experience puts nursing professionals in a remarkable position, wherein they should coincidentally combine both medical expertise and a certain degree of social exemplarity. Merely stating that “the nursing profession is built upon scientific knowledge” may not be a persuasive argument, but recognizing the role that research plays within nursing should be appropriate when characterizing it as a science (Matney, Avant, & Staggers, 2015, para. 6).
Since its development in the 19th century, nursing has established a strong link between research and practical application, thus executing a unique responsibility aimed at developing appropriate care methods (Schmidt & Brown, 2015). This emphasis on nursing’s social and scientific components is what immediately differentiates it from other disciplines, such as medical science, the goal of which may not directly intend to provide a public service.
Discuss Ethical Knowledge
Attending to patients without taking into consideration the action’s ethics puts the process of health care into question, making an inquiry into its motives acute. The institution of the Nuremberg Code and the Declaration of Helsinki aimed at the prevention of ethical transgressions and instead advocate a humane approach in medicine, which is only possible when comprehending conceptions of good and evil.
Moral understanding and knowledge help uphold nursing’s social role as they explain the intentions behind pursuing a patient-oriented approach, while federal regulations and the existence of an Institutional Review Board preserve adherence to appropriate practices (Chinn & Kramer, 2015). Therefore, integrating the aspect of offering a social service, which is rooted in creating prerequisites for patients’ self-assisted health betterment, may only become possible when recognizing nursing’s contribution to a universal good (Matney et al., 2015). Ethical knowledge, thus, plays a guiding role in deciding the vector of nursing’s advancement and creating an appropriate explanation for the entire process of health care.
Discuss Historical, Biophysical, Psychological, Analytical, and Organizational Knowledge
While considering ethical knowledge to be an orienteering factor in nursing, it remains equally as important to recognize the other components that make it into a multi-dimensional discipline. Upholding quality of care may only be possible when retaining strong links between areas of expertise, a lack of which ultimately leads to detrimental “uncritical acceptance, narrow interpretation, and partial use of knowledge” (Chinn & Kramer, 2015, p. 15).
Combining analytical and organizational skills with academically received knowledge of biophysics and psychology permits pursuing the highest forms of nursing practice that require a compelling understanding of management, medicine, and responsibility. A historical foundation, additionally, allows consolidating different knowledge trajectories together with acquired skills, which, when presented in unity, create a basis for nursing wisdom (Matney et al., 2015). Due to the varied nature of duties, it may be only appropriate that professionals pursuing a career in this field are in command of a diverse knowledge base.
What is the Difference Between a Grand Nursing Theory and a Middle Range Theory?
The creation of guidelines is necessary for any professional endeavor per the need for critical evaluation, which, in turn, may drive further positive developments within the chosen branch of knowledge. Grand Nursing Theories exist as discipline-wide rules that influence every aspect of nursing practice and, therefore, define its essence that creates the basis for future progress (Schmidt & Brown, 2015). Middle Range Theories, on the other hand, play the role of improvements, as they need to be developed and superimposed on the already existing structure (Chinn & Kramer, 2015). The area of effect of Grand Nursing and Middle Range Theories, thus, remains distinct yet coincidental, with the former forming the groundwork while the latter is aimed as elaborations.
References
Chinn, P. L., & Kramer, M. K. (2015). Knowledge development in nursing: Theory and process (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
Matney, S. A., Avant, K., & Staggers, N. (2015). Toward an understanding of wisdom in nursing. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 21(2). Web.
Schmidt, N. A., & Brown, J. M. (2015). What is evidence based-practice? In N. A. Schmidt and J. M. Brown (Eds.), Evidence-based practice for nurses: Appraisal and application of research (3rd ed., pp. 3-32). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.