[Thought styles in nursing].

Abstract

Proceeding from the occupation with the question whether the tension that nursing staffs experience in correspondence with the conflict of theory and practical orientation can be made transparent the authors found no sufficient explanations in the current theories of professionalism. The theory of thought styles and thought collectives (Denkstile und Denkkollektive) of Ludwig Fleck offers a perspective that takes a look at the inside of nursing, at the nursing staffs. From the analysis of the works of Fleck three styles, or thought collectives have been determined, that can be met in nursing. The thought style that corresponds with the pre-professional phase of a nursing career is characterised by a mainly caritative understanding of nursing. The thought style that comes with professional nursing is based on standardised knowledge by experience without scientific foundation. The thought style that is related to a professionalism of nursing connects scientific insights, nursing knowledge by experience and hermeneutic understanding of cases. The consideration of the current situation in nursing shows two problems that can be explained from the perspective of the thought styles: disturbances in communication because of terms that are interpreted differently by different thought styles and resistance against the consequences of some processes of development relating to professional-political aspects of nursing (making nursing academical and more professional). The resulting strategies of action include a further development of a thought style of a professionalism of nursing to be able to deal with needing of care and the reflection of conflict situations on the background of thought collectives.