The determination of the validity, usefulness, and comprehensiveness of a structure of knowledge for the nursing discipline

The purpose of the study was to create and validate a model for the structure of knowledge for nursing. The three research questions under consideration for this project were directed toward the determination of the validity, usefulness, and comprehensiveness of a model of the structure of nursing knowledge.

A scholarly function, which had been largely lacking within the discipline of nursing, was the effective and efficient stewardship of its knowledge (Bevis & Watson, 1989; Fitzpatrick & Whall, 1989; Styles, 1982). To date, no one in the nursing discipline has actively studied this problem. The innovative principles of pistecybernetics, the science of the stewardship of knowledge, suggested a paradigm that could efficiently restructure knowledge within the discipline of nursing (Hensley & Fedler, 1992). Developing and validating the model of a structure of knowledge within this discipline is the first step in starting the effective reorganization of nursing knowledge.