Gerontology and nursing science

This paper focuses on questions of the philosophy of science and the scient ific development of gerontology and nursing science. First, some aspects of the scientific development in gerontology and nursing science (autonomy, i nter- and multidisciplinarity as well as the theory debates) are summarized . In gerontology, problems of the philosophy of science are often neglected . The main focus is on empirical research and the establishment of an scien tific infrastructure. In nursing science are questions of the philosophy of science, especially debates about the discipline, are significant. In Germ any nursing research and the establishment of a scientific infrastructure a re still in the initial stages. Second, on the basis of a content analysis the relevance and status of "nursing/need of care/frailty" in two leading j ournals ("Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie" and the "Pflege") is shown. Main result is that in nursing science publications regarding the st atus of the discipline, studies of the motivation, attitudes and behavior o f nurses as well as investigations of the professionalization are dominant. In gerontology the main emphasis is on studies of the changing health serv ice structure, geriatric assessment and qualification. Finally chances of a n interdisciplinary exchange between gerontology and nursing science are di scussed.