Epistemology of Nursing

Introduction

• Epistemology is the study of knowledge and justified belief. (SEP, 2005)
• Epistemology is the branch of philosophy which deals with "theory of knowledge".
• Epistemology deals with questions concerning the nature, scope, and sources of knowledge.
• Epistemology is closely related to critical thinking.
• The term epistemology was introduced into English by James Frederick Ferrier (1808-1864).
• It addresses the questions:
  • What is knowledge?
  • How is knowledge acquired?
  • How do we know what we know?

Defenition

• Epistemology has been defined as 'a branch of philosophy that investigates the origin, nature, methods; and limits of human knowledge.' (Kothari & Mehta, 1993)
• Epistemology is defined as "the study or a theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge especially with reference to its limits and validity" (Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, 11th Edition).
• Medical epistemology refers to the knowledge of scope of epistemiology in medicine and consciousness of its limitations.

Concepts

• Beliefs
• Truth
• Justification

Branches

• Empiricism - knowledge is based on experience
• Idealism - knowledge is innate or not based on experience
• Rationalism - knowledge is based on reason and empirical evidence
• Constructivism - knowledge is "constructed"

Epistemiology of Nursing

• The epistemology of nursing and competencies required in health care today demand examination of how and where students acquire clinical, conceptual, and empirical knowledge (Vinson, 2000).
• Mitchell GJ, Cody WK. Nursing Knowledge and Human Science: Ontological and Epistemological Considerations. Nurs Sci Q Summer, 1992, 5;254-61.
• Horsfall JM. Madness in our methods: nursing research, scientific epistemology. Nursing Inquiry. 1995; 2:1. Jan M.

References

1. Kothari ML, Mehta LA. Medical education: an epistemiological enquiry. J Postgrad Med 1993;39:114.
2. Vinson JA. Nursing's epistemology revisited in relation to professional education competencies.J Prof Nurs. 2000 Jan-Feb;16(1):39-46.
3. Yorks L, Sharoff L. An extended epistemology for fostering transformative learning in holistic nursing education and practice. Holist Nurs Pract. 2001 Oct; 16(1):21-9.
4. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy available at: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/epistemology/
5. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - http://www.iep.utm.edu/epistemo/