PARALLELS AND CONTRADICTIONS IN THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF ACTION RESEARCH AND NURSING

Citation
H. Waterman et al., PARALLELS AND CONTRADICTIONS IN THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF ACTION RESEARCH AND NURSING, Journal of advanced nursing, 22(4), 1995, pp. 779-784
Citations number
36
Categorie Soggetti
Nursing
Journal title
ISSN journal
03092402
Volume
22
Issue
4
Year of publication
1995
Pages
779 - 784
Database
ISI
SICI code
0309-2402(1995)22:4<779:PACITT>2.0.ZU;2-C
Abstract
This paper draws on the authors' experiences of nursing in general and of action research projects. Parallels will be drawn between, on the one hand, the relationship between the practice and theory of nursing and, on the other hand, the relationship between the practice and theo ry of action research. Difficulties common to nursing and action resea rch will be identified (e.g. between the implementation of the theory of nursing and of action research). Over-simplification, non-specifici ty of issues and gaps in theory are frequent but inevitable problems t hat hinder theoretical applications. Similarly, comparisons will be ma de between the problems associated with the translation of nursing pra ctice into theory and the difficulties in transposing the experience o f research into theory. The complexities of practice, whether nursing or research, and the evolutionary nature of experience inescapably giv e rise to dilemmas when analysing theory and practice. The concepts of theory and practice when conceived as a dichotomy present a useful ov erview of issues. We argue that, through a discussion of the core them es of action research, including 'knowledge in action' and 'self and g roup reflection', consideration should also be given to a symbiotic an d complementary analysis of theory and practice. We observe that many contradictions exist within the theory and practice of action research and of nursing, and that these need to be addressed to promote theore tical and practical advances. Action research offers theoretical and p ractical insights that contribute to the current debate on the recipro cal relationship between theory and practice.