Understanding Philosophy in a Nurse’s World: What, Where and Why?

Concerns raised about the relevance of philosophy to the work of nurses have prompted us to examine the importance of philosophy in professional nursing. We introduce diverse understandings of what philosophy is, provide an overview of analytical and continental philosophies, and describe how philosophy is central to the work of nurses, educators and researchers. The discussion is situated in what some scholars view as a growing milieu of anti-intellectualism, instrumentalism, and neoliberalism. A three-pronged framework of philosophy is presented to help demonstrate the pervasiveness and magnitude of philosophy in nursing practice today. Philosophy helps nurses to think more critically and reflect on how their own values influence their practice and way of being. A better understanding of the importance of philosophy in the nurses' world is not only relevant but vital to our discipline and professional practice. A broader understanding of the interdependence of practical and philosophical matters in professional nursing is needed.