The Metaparadigm of Nursing: Present Status and Future Refinements

The Metaparadigm of Nursing: Present Status and
Fut ure Refinement s
Jacqueline Fawcett, Ph.D.,

F.A.A.N.

Abstract
The central concepts and themes of t he discipline of nursing are identified and formalized as nursing’s metaparadigm. Examples illustrate the direction provided by the metaparadigm for theory development. Refinements of the metaparadigm through conceptual models and programs of nursing research are proposed.

T

he discipline of nursing will advance only through continuous and systematic development and testing of nursing knowledge. Several recent reviews of the status of nursing theory development indicate that nursing has n o established tradition of scholarship. Reviewers have pointed out that most work appears unfocused and uncoordinated, as each scholar moves quickly from one topic to another and as few scholars combine their efforts in circumscribed areas
(Chinn, 1983; Feldman, 1980; Hardy,
1983; Roy, 1983; Walker, 1983).
Broad areas for theory development’ are, however, beginning to be recognized. Analysis of past and present writings of nurse scholars indicates that theoretic and empirical work has always centered on just a few global concepts and has always dealt with certain general themes. This paper identifies these central concepts and themes and formalizes them as nursing’s metaparadigm. Examples are given to illustrate the direction provided by the metaparadigm for theory development. The paper continues with a discussion o f refinements of t he metaparadigm needed at the levels of jacqueline Fawcett, Ph. D., F.A.A.N., i s
Associate Professor, and Section
Chairperson, Science and Role
Development, School of Nursing,
University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia.
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disciplinary matrices and exemplars and concludes with proposals for future work needed to advance to the discipline of nursing.

Present Status of the
Metaparadigm of Nursing
The metaparadigrn of any discipline i s a

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