The practitioner-researcher in nursing

Knowledge is changing rapidly in late modern society which has led to the recognition that no two practice situations are the same. This has been implicit in the perceived gap between theory and practice. In contemporary society, the legitimation of practice knowledge is pragmatic, so that research in this situation is best undertaken by practitioners, and many of them are actually doing this for a variety of different reasons. However, practitioner-researchers can also be a beneficial development in third world countries, such as Zambia, since their practice situations are so different from that of many Western consultants whose expertise is utilized by these countries. (C) 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.