Dialogues about the philosophical underpinnings of the discipline
of nursing and the theoretical frameworks that drive the scientific
development of evidence for nursing practice have been instrumental
in advancing nursing knowledge. However, the progress
made has been at times constrained by the lack of clarity of the meaning
of the essential concepts and constructs used in describing, explaining, or
critically examining the different components of nursing knowledge. In
addition, the monumental growth in the knowledge base of the discipline
within the last two decades of the twentieth century have also resulted in
many new concepts and constructs that were either adopted, adapted, or
invented to depict the unique phenomena of nursing practice. Some of
these concepts were central, such as "communication" or "problem solving,"
others were peripheral, such as "paradigm" or "modernism." Yet
it is important to integrate into nursing different approaches by which to
explain processes for knowledge development. Many of the plethora of
concepts used in the discipline of nursing reflect philosophical analyses,
theoretical critiques, methodological approaches, and statistical analyses,
as well as substantive components of nursing domain and perspective.
The well-meaning philosophers, metatheorists, theoreticians,
ethicists, and methodologists in nursing have contributed immensely to
its progress, to clarifying definitions and meanings of concepts as well as
to, at times, obfuscation of its language. Over the years, many, as well,
have attempted to enhance understanding of the discipline through shedding
clarity and providing direction by which concepts and constructs
could be further developed, understood, and utilized in a more consistent
way. None have offered more comprehensive analyses than Drs. Bethel
Ann Powers and Thomas Knapp in this Dictionary of Nursing Theory
and Research.
This dictionary is probably the answer to the prayers of graduate students
in many corners of the world. It is an urgently and much-needed
authors systematically identify and catalogue most, if not all, the significant
concepts used freely (and loosely at times) in discourses and dialogues
about the discipline and its progress. While conflicting definitions
lead to confusion, in many instances the taken-for-granted meanings lead
to even more confusion. The result is often propositions that are illfounded,
dialogues that are less constructive, and conclusions that are
less definitive. Critical reviews that could advance the development of
substance in the discipline and dialogues that could further the building
of the knowledge base turn into squabbles about the meaning of concepts
or into defense of one interpretation over another.
This book represents an important milestone in the language of nursing
knowledge. It is unusually inclusive of well-supported and comprehensively
documented definitions. The authors do not shy away from
controversial and oppositional definitions that will enrich the readers'
grasp of the concepts, while gently and firmly leading them to more certainty
of the best uses. It is well-organized to enhance access, readerfriendly
to increase utility, yet scholarly to stimulate thought.
I hope that members of the discipline will use this book well to put to
rest many of the semantic arguments that tended to forestall the forward
trajectory of the more substantive development of the discipline. This
dictionary is a tool that could be used to nurture our passion for substance
in nursing.