The Idea of History and the History of Ideas

Professional nurses understand that the historian's task is to inquire into the issues and ideas of nursing's past, but may not comprehend the nature and methods of historical research. Although historical research is similar to other qualitative methods, the results are usually presented in the form of "story." The story, called the historical narrative, is intended to enlighten the reader but it may disguise the historian's method and mislead the reader into thinking that historical method is either non-existent, simpleor non-important. The purpose of this article is to begin a dialogue which will negate the myths that historical method is neither rigorous nor significant and to encourage other nurse historians into articulating, sharing and teaching others "how historians think."