title: A philosophical analysis of evidence-based practice in mental health nursing.
abstract: Mental health nurses need to be aware that their knowledge base does not exist in isolation from other cultural practices. They/I/we must become more willing to engage in theoretical problem solving that directly affects clinical practice issues such as the introduction of evidence-based practice. Critical discussion of evidence-based practice should be informed by the complex issues that permeate all our socio-cultural and linguistic practices. This paper examines some of the major philosophical problems in the debate over the use of evidence-based practice in mental health nursing using both Foucault's formulation of discourse analysis and Derrida's construal of deconstruction. The conclusion reached is that postmodern philosophy offers a way to rid nursing of incessant naiive attacks on either quantitative or qualitative research methods which underpin the debate over evidence-based practice in mental health nursing.
authors.affiliation: Violence, Abuse and Neglect Prevention Service, Wentworth Area Health Service, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia. linesk@wahs.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lines
mesh_terms: D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards*; D012660:Semantics