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Happy New Year Phi Nu! I am excited to see what the future holds as we embark on the journey of starting new and evolutionary nursing programs.  I am proud of us. I am proud of the students. I ask that you take a few minutes before starting your work anew and consider your own personal nursing philosophy. Mine is one of post empiricism and I believe every philosophy is meaningful. Define and hold on to your message in 2023.

The scientific method is the basis for nursing research, its pure definition is to validate research and define the parameters for which the research is completed. We use these principles to directly influence the knowledge we use in developing our philosophy and care delivery.  While scientific knowledge provides the framework; nursing is human caring and therefore must reflect the human experience as part of the philosophy as well. This is post empiricism. An article titled Humanism and positivism in nursing: contraindications and conflicts in the Journal of Advanced Nursing (2006) demonstrates how positivism may be a barrier to the human art of nursing science and how the nature of research and theory considers reducing or dismissing the idea of objectivity in nursing science all together. I do not believe that nurses need to dispute or disown any one philosophy of research when developing their own care model philosophy.  The idea is that objectivity and standardized evidence based outcomes do have a place in nursing science but so does the human experience.  To understand a disease process, to diagnose and to treat and to implement life changes in each human life we have contact with is deeper than objective science (positivism) but still requires it. I am excited to be a part of the most amazing, persevering profession on earth and am inspired to witness the continued transformation into 2023.

Sincerely,
Tiffany Skinner DNP, RN, APRN, APN BC
Phi Nu Chapter President
Associate Dean of Nursing Knoxville, TN South College