Art & Science of Nursing
Since its very inception, there has been a conflict within the nursing profession about its status as to whether it is a science or an art. This is due to the fact that the profession of nursing includes within its tradition both scientific and artistic aspects.
The opposition between science and art has existed from the beginning of modern nursing. Nightingale championed the view of nursing as a moral art, while Fenwick argued for registration and insisted that nursing was an independent profession allied with science and technology.
(Le Vasseur J. 1999)
On the one hand, nursing viewed as a science implies objectivity and distance while on the other hand it can be seen as an art form which implies subjectivity and detachment. There has been considerable debate about these two apparently opposing points-of-view, as well as attempts to find areas of consensus between the two parallels. However, in my opinion this division is artificial in that both art and science form an integral function of the nursing experience and should rather be seen as complementary to one another.
Science forms part of the craft of nursing. I believe that the art of nursing as a science refers to the technical and objective part of the profession. Science refers to a certain type of knowledge that the nurse must have in order to perform his or her task well. This objective or empirical knowledge includes an understanding of the medical process and procedures as...
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