Home > Issue 4 ( Volume 16 ) > Τhe theory of complexity as a tool for a new conceptual framework for nursing
12
JUN
2024
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ABSTRACT

Introduction: Modern scientific thinking, overcoming the perception of a fully deterministic world, has laid the groundwork for understanding reality in all its dimensions as they arise from non-linear and parallel dynamic processes.

Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review is to describe how complexity theory and complex adaptive systems theory can contribute to the development of nursing science through the understanding of the contemporary interactions that determine the context of health care delivery.

Methodology: The literature was searched in online databases, researchgate, pub med, and academia.eu. The inclusion criteria for the articles were as follows: They were published between 2000 and 2022, had a primary focus on the science of complexity and complex adaptive systems and how these theories are incorporated into contemporary nursing theory and practice.

Results: Most studies emphasize the need for a new approach to nursing science through a meaningful understanding of complex phenomena such as healthcare organizations as living organisms openly multidimensional and unstable. Nursing science internationally approaches health as a complex phenomenon that can only be sustained (or restored) through a holistic approach that accepts the unpredictable and relies on subtle emergent forces within the overall system.

Conclusions: Approaching nursing as a complex adaptive system can offer a new framework for understanding the factors that shape the quality of service delivery and a new strategic planning approach based on the selforganization of nursing, both at the academic and clinical levels.

Key words: complexity theory, nursing, complex adaptive systems

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