Philosophy and Science in a Practice Discipline

A nurse enters a patient’s room to check her vitals and spends some time talking with the patient’s family how they are doing. Later that day, another nurse responds to the patient’s call button; she becomes concerned when she discovers that the patient is running a fever and is in pain despite receiving the medication that has been ordered for her. She recalls a similar instance with a different patient, and keeps that in mind as she asks the patient about how she is feeling. These seemingly simple actions are guided by philosophy—each nurse’s view of nursing and appropriate patient care. Do you, personally, think nursing should rely solely on biological science? Or do you think it is important for nursing to incorporate a broader, more holistic approach to care? How do you know what you know? What sources of information are most significant to you? How should you determine what types of research are applicable to nursing practice? To prepare: • Reflect on your professional experiences, and assess how philosophy and science influences nursing practice. • Consider how the scientific method is supported by philosophy, and how it influences nursing knowledge. Please use original thought. This paper will be checked for plagiarism. Post a cohesive response that addresses the following: • Why are philosophy and science important to a practice discipline? • How do they legitimize the nursing profession? • Provide examples from your nursing practice that demonstrate how the scientific method influences nursing knowledge.