Nursing science: the transformation of practice.

World-wide transformations in nursing practice are evolving as more nurses are embracing extant nursing theories and frameworks in order to fortify their unique contributions to the healthcare system. This article specifies the importance of and the ethical considerations arising when using nursing knowledge from within the school of thought of the discipline to guide practice. The ideas set forth are in stark contrast to the general nursing process with its medical model-driven diagnostic systems now proliferating in nursing practice in the global healthcare community. Both challenges and opportunities are present in the transformation of practice to a nursing knowledge base.