Pragmatism as a philosophical foundation to integrate education, practice, research and policy across the nursing profession

Abstract

AIM: A discussion of the philosophy of pragmatism and how it can underpin and integrate nursing education, practice, research and policy across the nursing profession. BACKGROUND: Although the concepts of plurality, truth, fallibilism, subjectivity and meliorism have been discussed across foundational philosophical literature, the relation of these concepts across various facets of the nursing profession have not been thoroughly articulated in the nursing literature. DESIGN: Critical theoretical reflection. DATA SOURCES: In this article, we draw from literature written on the philosophy of pragmatism from 1907 through to 2021. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: We propose an integrative approach for the nursing profession where education, practice, research and policy speak and contribute to each other through a lens of pragmatism. In this approach, education has a relationship with practice and practice has a direct line to research where nurses on the front lines can engage with pragmatic inquiry. Researchers in return can inform frontline nurses and policymakers of evidence emerging in areas pertinent to practice. These relationships are made possible through integrated knowledge translation by including all stakeholders at every point of knowledge generation. Each facet of the nursing profession is filled with stakeholders of nursing knowledge, who are invested in its utility. Although it requires focused effort to integrate knowledge across the profession, pragmatism calls for action in the face of challenges in hope for a stronger body of nursing knowledge and ultimately profession. CONCLUSION: Pragmatism is an apt philosophy to underpin and integrate nursing education, practice, research and policy across the nursing profession.

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