During the past two or three decades, nursing has made great progress in developing its scientific knowledge. Nursing as a knowledge system has been viewed from various perspectives, including the traditional scientific and human perspectives. But quantitative methodologies has been the predominant methodology utilized in research in nursing.
One of alternative qualitative methodologies is phenomenology. Phenomenology is not just a research method but is also a philosophy and an approach.
This article discuss the philosophical foundation of phenomenology, phenomenological philosophers including Husserl, Heidegger, and Merleau-Ponty. phenomenological research methodology, and implications in nursing.
Nursing seeks to understand the subjective meaning of human experiences by focusing on the process of understanding human behavior and human experience.
Also the purpose of phenomenological approach is to understand and describe the total structure of lived experiences in human.
Therefore phenomenology is a qualitative research methodology proper to nursing. It tries to provide a research methodology to human’s lived experience and describe the significances of a human being who concerns himself in experience and grasp the interdependence and interrelation between nursing science and humanism.
The current task of nursing is to develop the scientific knowledge base of nursing through more systematic, humanistic, and holistic approach. And phenomenological method may be more truly understood and valued as one possible avenues of inquiry for the advancement of nursing science.
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