Nursesʹ understanding of physical science in nursing practice

When science educators teach nurses, their primary aim should be to help them to developunderstanding of their world of nursing. From a study of registered nursesʹ conceptions of the physical science underlying their clinical practice, we assert that nursesʹ understanding of the physical sciences is inadequate in terms of the competencies required of them as nurses. Rather than respond to this contention by altering the content of physical science units in nursing courses, we propose that those who teach nurse students should look more carefully at factors that influence nursesʹ learning: these factors are images of nursing, shared experience and shared language. We maintain that these factors should not be ignored but can be used to advantage in teaching science to nurses.