Kuhn's Scientific Revolution and Its Effect on the Nursing Paradigm

Abstract

Nursing science, seeking answers to ontological and epistemological questions, has researched the basis and limits of the profession from past to present. Accordingly, the pioneers of nursing science have tried to explain the essence of the profession from various philosophical perspectives. This search, which is still ongoing for the progress and advancement of nursing, was inspired by Thomas Kuhn's concept of "normal science". Kuhn's scientific revolution played a role in the development of nursing knowledge, metaparadigm and paradigm. Despite this effect, there are differences between the development processes of the nursing paradigm and Kuhn's understanding of scientific revolution, due to the versatile structure of the human being that it takes the center of nursing science and the rapidly changing health-care processes. The purpose of this review is to discuss and critically analyze the effects, commonalities and differences of Kuhn's scientific revolution on nursing paradigm in the light of the literature.

Keywords

• nursing
• paradigm
• science
• philosophy of nursing