Knowledge Development in Nursing

Philosophy has a great impact on the knowledge development on nurses and the nursing field. As McCurry, Revell-Hunter, and Roy (2009) stated, “Knowledge is built upon theories, together with their philosophical bases and disciplinary goals, are the guiding framework for practice” (p. 42). As nurses we strive to do what is best, not only with physical care, but morally as well because we are advocates for our patients. The good that we have vowed to do for our patients is our philosophical base. As nurses we are to promote the common good for both the patients and public health as whole. It’s done every day on the hospital floor or wherever our work environment may be. It can be anywhere from performing the 5 rights of medication administration to avoid medication errors to monitoring vitals on a post-operative patient, all of which is done to do good and the safety for the patient.

This good that we do every day serves as our morally sound philosophical base. Nurses are held to moral accountability with each and every patient interaction and as a nursing professional to promote well-being across the globe. I believe to have a nurse that isn’t interested or does not agree that there is a philosophy and morality to the profession, is not a nurse that I want taking care of me or my family. An important distinguishing characteristic of a profession is that practice goes together with knowledge development (Reed & Lawrence, 2008). This ensures that one is not only practicing, but practicing with the most up-to-date information. As nurses, we know that the healthcare field is always changing and evolving. That being said, knowledge development is a requirement to keep up the changing field.

Embedded in our knowledge development should always be the philosophy of doing good. If we remember to keep that philosophy as we generate and develop our nursing education, we will truly be doing what is in the very best interest of our field and the nursing profession as a whole. Being a nurse, we are professionals and should always be displaying a professional demeanor. Professionalism and ethical practice are key components that are dependent on one other (Sordjan, 2014). If there are no ethics in the nursing practice, then the nurse themselves are not being professional.

Sordjan (2014) states that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends that the nursing education system should not only supply nurses the tools of standards, quality, and safety of care but also preserve key basic components of education, with one of those elements being ethics (p. 423). Overall, knowledge development is critical for nursing professionals and within that education system our knowledge should be developed in an ethically and morally sound way. If we adhere and keep this in mind as we educate ourselves as nurses, we are applying a philosophical base required to do what is the best for our patients and our profession.

References:

Kim, S. H., (1999). Critical reflective inquiry for knowledge development in nursing practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 29 (5), 1205-1212. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2648.1999.01005.x. Reed, P. G., & Lawrence, A. L. (2008). A paradigm for the production of practice-based knowledge. Journal of Nursing Management, 16, 422-432. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org.proxy.library.maryville.edu/10.1111/j.1365-2834.2008.00862.x McLeod-Sordjan, R. (2014). Evaluating moral reasoning in nursing education. Nursing Ethics, 21 (4), 473-483. doi: 10.1177/0969733013505309 McCurry, M. K., Revell-Hunter, S. M., & Roy, C. (2009). Knowledge for the good of the individual and society: linking philosophy, disciplinary goals, theory, and practice. Nursing Philosophy, 11, 42-52.