The Evolution of Nursing as a Discipline and Profession

Chapter 1

This comprehensive summary details the evolution of nursing as a discipline and a profession, focusing on the historical views of science, the metaparadigms of nursing, and the various classifications of nursing theories.

One. Historical Evolution of Nursing Knowledge

The search for specialized nursing knowledge has progressed through several distinct eras:

· Curriculum Era (nineteen hundred to nineteen forties): Focused on what content student nurses should study to become standardized for diploma programs.

· Research Era (nineteen fifties to nineteen seventies): Explored the focus of nursing research and the role of nurses in conducting it.

· Graduate Education Era (nineteen fifties to nineteen seventies): Carved out an advanced role for nursing practice and focused on knowledge development.

· Theory Era (nineteen eighties to nineteen nineties): Shifted the focus to the patient and established frameworks to guide research and practice.

· Theory Utilization Era (twenty-first Century): Emphasizes using theory to produce evidence-based knowledge for quality care.