Nursing: Scientific Method, Essay Example

Nursing research is defined as the science, which validates and refines existing knowledge and generates new knowledge that directly and indirectly influences nursing practice.

Explain what this means to your nursing practice.

Nursing practice has evolved through many stages. There was an era when nursing as just a philosophy because there was no scientific basis for executing care neither understanding reasons for interventions. However, Florence Nightingale designed the first nursing theory without utilizing a scientific approach. As such, while this was commendable nursing was not respected as other sciences because there were no distinct scientific methodologies informing research practice. Subsequently, the bases for validating, refining existing knowledge and generating new knowledge remained obscure (Craven & Hirnle, 2003).

Currently, when nursing research does not embrace the scientific method then knowledge generated would lack validity. Importantly, there are four phases which nursing namely observation and description of a phenomenon or group occurrences; formulating an hypothesis to explain the phenomena then applying it to predict the existence of subsequent phenomena, observations for predicting quantitative outcomes. The fourth phase involves conducting experiments using control groups or randomized trials (Lindberg, 2007).

It must be understood that nursing research is not confined to the scientific method above. Research science in itself embodies three types of methodologies informing conduct for valid knowledge generation. They are exploratory explaining the issue through survey result data collection techniques; constructive research allowing testing of theories and proposing solutions to a problem. This is applicable to the scientific method mention earlier. Thirdly, there is the empirical method which follow strict scientific execution techniques. When more valid knowledge is generated from research then there is profound evidence based practice within the nursing science (Freshwater, Sherwood, & Drury, 2006)

References

Craven, R., & Hirnle, C. (2003). Nursing Theory and Conceptual Framework, Fundamentals of Nursing: Human Health and Function. New York. Sage.

Freshwater, D., Sherwood, G., & Drury, V. (2006) International research collaboration. Issues, benefits and challenges of the global network. Journal of Research in Nursing, 11 (4) 9295–303.

Lindberg, C. (2007). The Beginnings of Western Science, University of Chicago Press (2nd Edition). New York. Sage