| Learning Objective #1: Describe the evolution of research-based nursing knowledge from 1952-2002 | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Discuss the impact of nursing research on nursing practice over the last 50 years |
Objective: to examine the emergence and development of nursing as scientific knowledge between 1952 and 2002
Design: an historical overview of the evolution of nursing knowledge and clinical research topics by decade from 1952 through 2002.
Sample: Nursing journals and clinical nursing research topics as identified through CINAHL and a manual review of the indices of the nursing journals publishing research for the designated time period, 1952-2002
Concepts examined: nursing as scientific knowledge, nursing journals available in each decade, brief contextual background of each period, clinical research reports related to gerontological and cardiovascular nursing and pain.
Methods: Literature review using CINAHL (hardcopy and online), manual inspection of the table of contents and indices of nursing journals.
Findings: The number of clinical research reports and journals increased exponentially between the first volume of Nursing Research (1952) and the emergence of The Journal of Evidence Based Practice in 1998. Empirical evidence has replaced "intuition and faith" as the basis for nursing interventions in many areas, including gerontological nursing, cardiovascular nursing and pain management.
Conclusion: Nursing research has dramatically changed the practice of nursing and the quality of nursing care in the last 50 years. Sigma Theta Tau International has played a vital role in that evolution through funding and publication.
Implications: An examination of the context and nature of nursing knowledge and research over a selected period of time can inspire an appreciation for the status of nursing as a profession as well as the journey of knowledge discovery.
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Back to 14th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
10-12 July 2003