Post Positivist Nursing Theory

Nursing has exploded as a profession. That expansion has been accompanied by the development of nursing theory, or theories. These theories are contradictory, therefore controversial. One trend in nursing theory is called post-positivism.

Post-positivist Theory

• Post-positivism is not only a nursing theory phenomenon, it is a more general theoretical, even philosophical, tendency. Positivism is a theoretical approach that emphasizes "objectivity," and it held sway in nursing theory until the 1960s. Post-positivism called the notion of "objectivity" into question with regard to observer bias not only in what is observed, but in selecting what is worthy of observation.

Question Hierarchies

• Another key aspect of post-positivist theory in nursing is how it approaches the question of scientific certainty and medical protocols. Post-positivism accuses positivism of being linear, rigid, mechanical, even authoritarian. Academic disciplinary rigidity comes in for critique by post-positivists as well, who prefer an interdisciplinary and flexible approach to patient care.

Collaboration

• Post-positivist nursing theory emphasizes a collaborative relationship between medical care providers and patients, and encourages patient-participation in developing plans for treatment and follow-up.

No Anti-science

• Post-positivism is a critique of positivism, not a rejection of science. The scientific method is still held in the highest regard by post-positivists, who see themselves as positivism's reformers.