Promotion and

Enhancement of
Knowledge in Nursing

Jhon Henry Osorio-Castaño1

Knowledge is the product of the action of learning Editorial

and has as requisite that it can be expressed
and communicated to others.(1) According to
Fawcett,(2) one of the central issues for the survival
of nursing as a discipline is understanding the
nature and structure of nursing knowledge. This
can be interpreted as the clarity about that which
should be investigated, what should be done in
the practice, and what should be taught during
the formation of professionals. Although research,
practice, and formation have been based on the
body of knowledge from other disciplines,(3) it is not 1 Nurse, Masters, Ph.D. Candidate. Associated Pro-
fessor, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín
possible to achieve autonomy and independence in (Colombia).
practice, as a given right,(4) if progress is not made in email: jhon.osorio@upb.edu.co
How to cite this article: Osorio-Castaño JH. Promotion
the construction, consolidation, and appropriation and Enhancement of Knowledge in Nursing. Invest.
of nursing’s own knowledge. Hence, to promote Educ. Enferm. 2018; 36(1):e01.
DOI: 10.17533/udea.iee.v36n1e01
the development of nursing knowledge requires
three central elements: formation, practice, and
research; and each of them transversed by other

Vol. 36 No1, • February 15th 2018 • ISSNe: 2216-0280

support elements, like the development and concerning the nursing practice and discipline.(9) But
analysis of concepts, the use of medium-range achieving undergraduate and graduate formation
theories, the use of a standardized language, and also requires the formation of the teaching staff.
evidence-based nursing. As mentioned by Ramírez et al.,(10) formation in
Nursing requires highly trained faculty to promote
The first necessary element is the undergraduate
autonomous learning of their students, the same
and graduate formation. It gains importance
that will give origin to graduates committed to
because the learning and teaching processes permit
their self-education, so that as a professional group
understanding and favoring the appropriation of
they assume a leading role in the development of
nursing as a scientific discipline and as an autonomous
humanity and learn from the classroom to create
profession. To achieve this, it is indispensable to
and participate in a more humane, equitable,
support this formation on transversal elements,
and responsible world. This generates another
especially on the use of medium-range theories and
challenge and the curricular structure of the
of a standardized language. Medium-range theories
undergraduate and graduate formation programs
deal with specific phenomena of the discipline,
must respond to many components, like progress
like – for example – transitions, the maternal
in the discipline, the new action domains, national
role, unpleasant symptoms, self-transcendence,
and global population needs, and strengthening of
suffering, ailing, comfort, and uncertainty, among
their own knowledge to participate actively in the
many others, that emerge from the practice and
multidisciplinarity approach.
return to it in a more elaborate manner. Moreno(5)
and Seguel et al.,(6) ratify that the construction of Strongly linked to the formation, the practice is the
theories, especially the medium-range theories, has soul of a professional discipline. This element is
been essential for the practice due to the limited crucial when favoring the development of nursing
number of concepts and because of their great use knowledge, given that it is where the problems or
in understanding specific phenomena of the nursing phenomena appertaining to inquiry derived from
practice. the discipline are generated; it is also in the practice
where it can be seen what nursing is and what its
Standardized languages are used to document
practice supports. As stated by Duran de Villalobos,(11)
the professional practice, given that they permit
the practice is accompanied by a system of abstract
comparing and evaluating the effectiveness of the
knowledge, dynamic development, which for its
care offered in multiple scenarios of professional
production and modification requires its being
performance and provide a tool to communicate
supported on daily practice that, in the end,
what is being done clearly and similarly.(7) For
evidences the relevant phenomena and problems of
Seguel et al.,(6) and Silva et al.,(8) the nursing
the disciplinary knowledge.
process and the use of standardized languages,
in spite of having a strong positive influx, favor To understand the practice as promotion of
a work method that contributes to appraising, nursing knowledge, it is necessary to recur to a
planning, and evaluating under standards that can mainstreaming element and that is evidence-based
guide the practice; besides generating questions nursing, understood as the conscious, judicious, and
on the effectiveness of the nursing interventions explicit use of the best scientific evidence available
that must be strongly adhered to by professionals related with nursing knowledge that permits making
since the formative processes. decisions about care, bearing in mind the patients’
preferences and values.(12) It is fundamental in the
Using a standardized language through a work
practice and in the formation to contrast, verify, test,
method somehow defines the knowledge of
refute, question, and rethink.(6)
the discipline and, if used properly, can permit
nursing professionals to describe, communicate, Practice and formation of a discipline based on
investigate, and teach consistently the phenomena tradition, on intuition, and on the hegemonic power

Invest Educ Enferm. 2018; 36(1):e01

Promotion and Enhancement of Knowledge in Nursing

of other disciplines are probably condemned to is the first step for the theoretical development of
disappearing. Hence, the emergence of a new nursing. Now, research cannot have repercussions
connection between formation and formative upon it, on the formation and practice of Nursing if it
professional practice in evidence-based nursing; is not disseminated. In this sense, the dissemination
understanding here that the evidence may come becomes a more real element of the promotion of
about from the generation of concepts, theories or the development of nursing knowledge, given that
their corroboration, the validation of a standardized whatever is not published perishes, inexistent. Only
language, and – of course – from the use of research that which can be read, shared, socialized will be
results to generate new knowledge and inquiries that used in the consolidation of the formation, practice,
contribute to consolidating the practice. Practice research, and professional autonomy. The publication
that can achieve a balance and a link between the of research results, especially in peer-reviewed
orientation to the task and the procedure and the care journals,(20) determines the production of knowledge
of experiences that are not tangible or measurable to in a profession,(21) enables the dissemination of new
facilitate the generation of new concerns, innovative knowledge, and contributes decidedly to scientific
proposals and the permanence of both orientations progress.(22) Although, as mentioned by Fawcett,(23)
within a discipline dedicated to bedside baths and local, regional, national, and international
to the balance of liquids, as well as to interventions conferences are another platform that favors the
to favor an adaptive system and accompany the dissemination of research results in nursing, but do
transition toward motherhood.(13) not have the potential of reaching thousands as do
Everything described until now would not be serial publications. Another fundamental aspect in
possible without the aid of research. For several research is funding. This is a first-order challenge in
authors,(6,10,14,15) research is the motor that drives nursing, given that – according to Avena(24) – some
disciplinary and professional development. It favors negligence is noted from funding agencies to offer
the generation, renovation, and consolidation and disburse resources for nursing research when
of the discipline’s knowledge. It is fundamental considering it of low impact.
for the formation and practice, as well as for Finally, everything exposed in terms of factors
the other transverse elements that have already that contribute to promoting nursing knowledge is
been described. According to Fawcett,(16) Nursing condensed in the great autonomy that, in spite of
research can be carried out under two perspectives: being real according to Legislation 266 of 1993,(25)
to generate theory or to test theory, but the author seems more of an illusion because of all the breaches
warns that both can be based on a conceptual and and disconnections occurring among formation,
theoretical structure of the discipline and it would practice, and research; furthermore, because of all
not be possible if there were no paradigmatic the setbacks found in the medium-range theories
nucleus, as denominated by Fawcett,(17) or some – both in the formation, as in the practice and as
domains of knowledge, as called by Meleis.(18) foundations of research, as well as with the use
It is important to highlight the pertinence of research of a standardized language and evidence-based
by identifying the phenomena of the nursing domain. nursing, ignoring that everything as a whole makes
These phenomena can be defined through a single up a structure of knowledge that permits promoting
word or in theoretical terms, through a concept. its development and which shields from the
Concepts include an experience that can be identified consumption of knowledge from other disciplines
through observation, cognition, or language.(19) and from the generation of questionings on the
Moreno(5) indicates that the analysis of concepts phenomena not appertaining to Nursing.

Invest Educ Enferm. 2018; 36(1):e01

Jhon Henry Osorio-Castaño

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Promotion and Enhancement of Knowledge in Nursing