Processes in the creation and diffusion of nursing knowledge: an examination of the developing concept of family-centred care.

The creation of a knowledge base to underpin and direct nursing practice has been the pursuit of nurse academics, educationists and practitioners over recent decades. Much of this work has concerned the explication of major theories of nursing, whilst some has sought to elucidate specific areas of knowledge. This paper outlines processes of creation and diffusion, considering the influence of factors from both within and without the nursing profession on the epistemology of its knowledge base. An examination of the developing concept of family-centred care is utilized to illustrate the convolutionary process of knowledge creation.