Nursing: Normal Research or Revolutionary Research?

Abstract

Introduction: In Colombia, the nursing doctoral education is a relatively recent process. After a decade of formation, aspects such as the new knowledge input, the evolution of designs and methodologies of research, and the number of doctoral staff formed are still underestimated. Within this context, it is important to inquire on the challenges and barriers related to generation of new nursing knowledge.

Objectives: considering the theoretical constructs derived from Thomas Kuhn’s works to discuss the progress of nursing doctorates in Colombia as an indicator of the discipline development.

Methodology: This is a descriptive and narrative study from a literature review on the process of nursing knowledge improvement in the Colombian context.

Results and Conclusions: The nursing doctorate graduation rate has not increased since 2011; only 6.4% of the doctoral dissertations have a concluding reach; although a positive correlation between the nursing theories and the problems studied by the doctorates was evidenced, the approaches to the meta-paradigms and the nursing visions within each study are not clear. A lack of congruency between Khun’s postulates and the epistemological development of present-day nursing in Colombia was also evidenced. Collaborative trans-disciplinary initiatives are encouraged in order to stimulate the development of research programs which address the needs of the Colombian society.