Postmodernism and Education in Nursing Science: The Case of Clinical Skills

During the development of theories that took place in the human and social sciences during the second half of the 20th century, when the current of postmodernism was particularly prevalent among French thinkers (French Theory), the human body preoccupied philosophy and sociology as a social construction in relation to other parameters such as the question of power and knowledge. The purpose of this study is to highlight the main aspects of the relevant interventions according to the pioneering conception of Michel Foucault, and the criticisms made by persons with opposing philosophical and sociological views on scientific questions, taking as a case study the medical and nursing care in the clinical field. One of the parameters that was affected is the way in which nursing education is influenced by the postmodern approach in the context of the clinical field such as operating theatre (OT), intensive care units, wards and the emergency department. One question is formed regarding the power of people in charge of nursing education, with the resulting discipline and the ability to produce knowledge, the way knowledge is preserved and the power structures within which nursing education is provided. The observation of nursing consciousness from the theoretical perspective of postmodernism gives rise to certain hypotheses regarding the contribution to maintaining knowledge and the implementation of good practices in the clinical environment. Similarly, the development of skills raises the question of contribution to the maintenance of a nurse's knowledge and empowering him/her to provide quality healthcare.