Disciplinary Maturity in Moving From Nurse Scientist to Nursing Scientist

In this article, I discuss a provocative recommendation by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing for research doctorate education as it relates to nursing education and the broader question whether nursing scientists should be nurse scientists. I use tools from the tradition of analytic philosophy to examine issues and language underlying this discussion about nursing science, knowledge, and practice. I draw some conclusions based on my review of the association’s documents and from philosophical perspectives on nursing science and practice.