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Carper's Ways Of Knowing In Nursing Case Study

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As an epistemology of nursing, Carper’s ways of knowing encompasses five fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing; empirical knowledge, esthetic knowledge, personal knowledge, sociopolitical knowledge, and ethical knowledge (Carper, 1978). McEwen and Wills (2011) stated that all are essential to the “whole” of nursing” (p. 17). This model of structured reflection challenges habitual practices, interprets the subjective experiences, and projects the effects of nursing actions (Jones, 1994). According to Carper (1978), “an understanding of these patterns is essential for the teaching and learning of nursing” (p. 13). In this paper, I will describe a clinical scenario related to the care of an infant and how the multiple ways of knowing guided my nursing actions in my practice. The names are fictitious to protect the privacy of the patients. Clinical Scenario George, a full-term male infant was transferred to the Maternity and Pediatric Unit with no congenital abnormality. George’s mother, Callie is a twenty-one-year-old first-time mother of Aboriginal descent. She has a history of Asthma, Depression, and Nicotine Addiction. Callie had recently undergone a vaginal birth and her duration of labor was three [3] hours; hence George was monitored closely for signs of respiratory depression. On the morning of my first shift, I introduced myself to the patient and expressed my desire to help. Upon assessment of my dyad, Callie was alert, oriented, and happy while George was

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