Open-mindedness: a virtue for professional practice.

Sellman, Derek

Abstract

This paper introduces the notion of open-mindedness before proceeding to outline its value to the practical activity of nursing. An argument is constructed to point to the desirability of the development of a virtue of open-mindedness in nurses in order to complement evidence-based practice. Attention is drawn to two failures of open-mindedness (the vices of closed-mindedness and credulousness), which have the potential both to restrict autonomous practice and to cause harm.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2003
• Journal: Nursing philosophy : an international journal for healthcare professionals
• Print ISSN: 1466-7681
• Electronic ISSN: 1466-769X
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 4
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 17-24
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1466-769X.2003.00113.x
• Keywords: open-minded, nursing
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1070861
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1466-769X.2003.00113.x
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This paper identifies open-mindedness as an essential aspiration for nurses pursuing evidence-based practice. An analysis of what it means to be open-minded is followed by a critical discussion on some of the logical and conceptual difficulties of being open-minded.