Abstract
Concerns raised about the relevance of philosophy to the work of nurses have prompted us to examine the importance of philosophy in professional nursing. We introduce diverse understandings of what philosophy is, provide an overview of analytical and continental philosophies, and describe how philosophy is central to the work of nurses, educators and researchers. The discussion is situated in what some scholars view as a growing milieu of anti-intellectualism, instrumentalism, and neoliberalism. A three-pronged framework of philosophy is presented to help demonstrate the pervasiveness and magnitude of philosophy in nursing practice today. Philosophy helps nurses to think more critically and reflect on how their own values influence their practice and way of being. A better understanding of the importance of philosophy in the nurses’ world is not only relevant but vital to our discipline and professional practice. A broader understanding of the interdependence of practical and philosophical matters in professional nursing is needed.
Highlights
Philosophy, Nursing, Analytical, Continental, Anti-Intellectualism “Philosophical inquiry does not lead to one correct answer but enables the articulation of various views of knowledge and of nursing practice” [1]
In this paper we address two broad questions: what is philosophy and how is it important in nursing practice? To address these questions, we start by exploring the trends of anti-intellectualism, instrumentalism, and neoliberalism that inform the socio-political context of resistance to philosophy in nursing
The major barriers of anti-intellectualism, instrumentalism and a neoliberal agenda inform the context we explore in order to better understand resistance to philosophy in nursing
Summary
Compelling book entitled Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, as “a resentment and suspicion of the life of the mind and those who are considered to represent it; and a disposition to constantly minimize the value of that life” [4]. Miers [5] argues that anti-intellectualism has been a longstanding phenomenon fueled by a rift between clinicians and academics. In this context, there is an assumption that abstract thinking is perceived to be more valued by academic nurses over pragmatic, skill-based knowledge of clinical practice. Miers [5] reports findings from a small study in the U.K. and links her findings to the historic barriers to women in higher education along with several factors that are supported by other scholars [6,7] These findings support a view of nursing as a practice discipline that does not require graduate-level skills. While the U.K context of Miers’ [5] study may present unique considerations for the development of nursing in that country, we believe socio-political and global economic forces are shaping nursing education and health care practices irrespective of geography or discipline
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