Toward a pluralistic approach in nursing
For many years, nurses have contributed to the advancement of knowledge in nursing. From theories to conceptual models, several researchers have offered their vision on how to achieve this goal. Beyond the diversity and differences of opinion, monistic and pluralistic conceptions emerge from their position. Using Karl Popper’s (1979) theories of open and closed societies and McLennan’s (1995) definition of pluralism, this study argues for pluralism in nursing. Pluralism provides an opportunity for nurse researchers to combine their research to other theories, other concepts, other approaches, and other disciplines to enable further analysis and a broader perspective of the nursing discipline. This study is a theoretical reflection on interdisciplinarity in nursing research.
Key words
- nursing discipline
- open society
- closed society
- pluralism