Multiple paradigms of nursing science

Of the many controversies that have accompanied the growth of nursing as a discipline, few have been debated as long and as vigorously as the question of which paradigm should guide nursing science. Despite more than 20 years of discussion, the question remains unresolved. This article discusses the concept of paradigm, explores the paradigms that influence nursing science, and presents a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of theoretical unification and mutiparadigmism. Additionally, the implications and consequences of multiparadigmism for the present and future development of nursing as a science within a practice discipline are presented.