Philosophical paradigm of research

Discussion board post for NURS603 Facilitating Inquiry, posted on September 15, 2022. Post is in response to thread about personal philosophical paradigm in research.

In her textbook on social science research, Bhattacherjee wrote, "subconscious paradigms often constrain the concepts that researchers attempt to measure, their observations, and their subsequent interpretations of a phenomenon. However, given the complex nature of social phenomenon, it is possible that all of the above paradigms are partially correct, and that a fuller understanding of the problem may require an understanding and application of multiple paradigms" (2012, p. 18).

This quotation resonated with me as I considered the question of my personal philosophical approach to research and evaluating processes within my clinical environment. In particular, I struggled to align myself with one particular approach as I explored the various paradigms covered in the text, because I found that I related to each in different contexts.

For example, in the emergency department in which I work, I frequently participate in workshops aimed at redesigning our ambulatory zone. When I participate in these, I find myself adopting a social lens because, given my experience working in this zone, the challenges in maintaining flow depend on the personality and skill of the nurses assigned to the flow manager position in the area. As such, regardless of how we design flow, the weakness will be incompatibility of some nursing personalities.

However, in other situations, such as when providing care for patients or medical interventions, I tend to adopt a rational approach, applying concepts of pathophysiology and pharmacology in assessment and evaluation of my patients.

In yet another sphere of nursing advocacy, which I participate in through written media and social media, I adopt a political lens to understand why nurses remain disadvantaged and disrespected in our society. I argue against laws that inhibit nursing rights and nursing wages, with the lens that political interests are overriding the sustenance of public health in our society.

I think context is extremely important when considering the approach we take in our lives and in our work environments. Overreliance on one particular approach, in different contexts, can mean certain aspects can be overlooked or unintentionally ignored. That is why the quotation from Bhattacherjee's textbook was significant for me; it essentially said that reality is a combination of various perspectives, and cannot be fully understood or appreciated unless viewed through this multiplicity of lenses.

Whether or not we can each truly take all of these approaches in a meaningful way, given the variability in human minds, is another matter. Perhaps, then, I am a post-positivist, as they "view science as not certain but probabilistic (i.e., based on many contingencies), and often seek to explore these contingencies to understand social reality better" (Bhattacherjee, 2012, p. 18). This approach considers a multiplicity of factors and I believe it to be the most affective means to arriving to the best possible semblance of a complete reality.

References:

Bhattacherjee, A. (2012). Social science research: Principles, methods, and practices (2nd ed.). Textbooks Collection. Book 3. Retrieved from http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/oa_textbooks/3