Sources of nursing knowledge

1. Sources of nursing knowledge Tradition: The handling down of Knowledge from one generation to another leads to actions that occur because “we’ve always done it that way” certain “truths’’ are accepted as given.

2. Tradition offers some advantages as a source of Knowledge:- • Each individual is not required to begin anew in an attempt to understand the world or certain aspects of it. • Facilitates communication by providing a common foundation of accepted “truth’’.

3. Disadvantages: Many traditions have never been evaluated for their validity. • Critical appraisal should be done to custom and tradition before accepting them as truth. 2- Authority: Experts or authorities in a given filed often provide Knowledge for other people: - Limitations: based on personal experience. • Experience and trial and error. - Experience; our own experiences represent a familiar and functional source of Knowledge. So, human beings must be able to learn about their environment form their experiences.

4. limitations:- • a) Each individual’s experiences may be too restricted to develop generalization. • b) the same objective event generally is experienced or perceived differently be two individuals “ colored by subjective values and prejudices”. • Trial and error: • Alternatives are tried until we find one that answer our questions or solves our problems. • Limitations:- - It is fallible and inefficient, haphazard and unsystematic “the goal was “if it works, we’ll use it”

5. 4-logical reasoning: logical thought processes. • - Combines experience, our systems of thought • There are two types of reasoning:- a- Inductive reasoning: is the process of developing generalizations from specific observations. b- Deductive reasoning: is the process of developing specific predictions from general principles.

6. Limitations: 1- The quality of Knowledge arrived at through inductive reasoning is highly inductive upon the representative- ness of the specific. Examples used as the basis for generalization. 2- has no selfcorrection. 3- Deductive reasoning not it self a source of new information. It is an approach to illuminating relationships as one proceeds from the general to the specific.

7. Scientific Method: • - The most objective & reliable source of nursing knowledge. • - Has capacity for self evaluation. • -That is , scientific research uses checks & balance which minimize the possibility that the researcher’s emotion or biases will affect the conclusions. • - Uses empirical data, which are data gathered through the sense organs

8. Ch.Ch. of the scientific approach: • order & control. • Empiricism: • Finding of a scientific investigation to be grounded in reality rather than in the personal biases or beliefs of the researcher. • Evidence rooted in objective reality & gathered directly or indirectly through the human senses. 3. Generalization: Generalizability of research findings is an important criterion for assessing the quality of investigation.

9. A purposes of scientific research • description:- the description of phenomena. • Exploration: pursues the question:- what factors influence, affect, cause, or relate to this phenomenon. • Explanation:- • Prediction and control: - Use scientific approach to make reliable predictions, and to develop control mechanisms.

10. Limitations of the scientific method: • Expensive, time consuming • Moral or ethical problems • Human complexity • Measurement problems • Control problems - To control factors that are not under direct investigation.

11. Ethical considerations in scientific research • Informed consent • Freedom from harm • Privacy, Anonymity andconfidentiality.

12. Reasons for conducting nursing research:- • Improvement in nursing care. • Growth of the Nursing profession. • Accountability for nursing practice. • Documentation of the cost-effectiveness of nursing care.