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A critique of several conceptions of practice theory in nursing
Author(s) -
Beckstrand Jan
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
research in nursing and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1098-240X
pISSN - 0160-6891
DOI - 10.1002/nur.4770030205
Subject(s) - epistemology , nothing , set (abstract data type) , action (physics) , nursing practice , nursing theory , plan (archaeology) , practice theory , sociology , philosophy , medline , nursing , computer science , medicine , law , physics , archaeology , quantum mechanics , political science , history , programming language
Abstract The thesis of this article is that the Dickoff, James, and Wiedenbach (1968a, 1968b) conception of a practice theory is roughly equivalent to a plan of action. This idea is contrasted with other conceptions of a prescriptive practice theory, especially the set‐of‐rules conception described by Jacox (1974). The set‐of‐rules conception is shown to be untenable, and other conceptions of practice theory are shown to be nothing more than examples of established forms of knowledge.