Abstract

LANDEROS-OLVERA, Erick; SALAZAR-GONZALEZ, Bertha C.  and  CRUZ-QUEVEDO, Edith. Influence of positivism on nursing research and practice. Index Enferm [online]. 2009, vol.18, n.4, pp.263-266. ISSN 1699-5988.

Purpose: To describe the corresponding parto to positivism as one of the mainstream thoughs influencing nursing research and practice. Positivism characteristics assert that knowledge is concrete and phenomena are feasible to measure. For nursing this translates into keeping privilege for that what is organic; indirectly denying the subjective part, what matters is the clinical data that can be verified using concrete technology or techniques such as physical exploration. Regarding research, replication of nursing care interventions in different samples serves the goal to accumulate enough specific evidence (mathematically significant) as to be useful in practice. In conclusion the links between practice and research based under this thought have generated most of nursing knowledge and remains foundational to nursing practice in hospital and communities as well.

Keywords : Philosophy; positivism; nursing; practice; research.