Knowing if what you think and understand to be factual can become questionable particularly when there is a difference of opinion in the collection of data and interpretation between the medical model and the nursing model of practice. There can be a difference in the critical appraisal of the patient care and pro-active interventions as shift report is given from one nurse to the next. Another caveat is the difference between what the nurse thinks and knows and what the patient thinks he knows and wants. The above can lead to doubt of your five senses, troublesome anxiety as the question do no harm comes to mind, or indignant self-righteousness of one’s own nursing practice. Epistemology in nursing science is the key to greater understanding of knowing and legitimacy of what we do as a profession (McEwen & Wills, 2014 p. 12). …show more content…
13), (d) somatic knowledge as in prophylactic deep vein thrombosis leg exercises, (e) metaphysical knowledge to comprise experiences from spiritual to extraordinary phenomenon, (f) esthetics as seen in hospitals creating therapeutic environments that are sensed by the individual at first exposure, (g) moral or ethical knowledge as gained on committee or debate on the young with brain injury (McEwen & Wills, 2014 p. 13; Carper,
Nursing is a unique profession which is built upon theories that guide everyday nursing practice. According to Taylor, Lillis, & Lynn (2015), “Nursing theory differentiates nursing from other disciplines and activities in that it serves the purposes of describing, explaining, predicting, and controlling desired outcomes of nursing care practices” (p. 27). Many nurses may unknowingly apply a theory or a combination thereof, along with critical thinking to get the best outcome for a patient. Theories are used in practice today because they have been supported by research and help the profession uphold its boundaries. Most nursing theories consist of four concepts which are the patient, the environment, health, and nursing. Each patient is at the center of focus and they have the right to determine what care will be given to them using informed
Theory has so far remained a strategic tool in advanced nursing practice. Firstly, nursing utilizes every feature of management science. Fortunately, the knowledge base of each and every management science takes theory into account. Theory includes methods, principles, and concepts. The principles are usually related, and can be observed and validated or verified when translated into the practice of management. Likewise, concepts are general notions, thoughts, and ideas that tend to form a basis of discussion or action. Therefore, theoretical principles guide clinical nurses to various
nurse staffing ensures quality nursing care for patients and can be a challenge for nurse
Some people ask what is nursing and what do nurses do? Nurses follow the nursing process to treat patient and they often use different theories to guide them. According to Peplau’s Theory of Nursing, she believe that nurses must clearly understand the purpose of nursing to promote their client’s growth, and nurse-patient interact. The role of nursing is to help others identify their health problems and nurses should apply the principles of nurse-patient relations to the problems that emphasize all levels of experience. Watson’s Theory defined nursing as the principle of nursing that can lead to the practice of loving-kindness between the one who is caring and the one who is being cared for, especially the caring activities performed by nurses as they interact with others. Although Peplau and Watson’s theory both desire interacting and caring for others, Watson’s theory is typically reflective of an excellent in human and heart-centered. Not only is it a relationship of caring for the self and others based on a foundation of love and values, but also it is a caring moment-to-moment between the nurses and others.
The nursing profession entails core values and commonalities that link those in the profession. A comprehensive study of the literature identifies key components of the profession as the provision of technical care, defending the vulnerable, taking care of the ill, as well as establishing systems for the delivery of care. Different models have been developed which describes and guides the nursing profession. The two nursing theories: the Theory of Nursing as Caring by Boykin and Schoenhofer and the Transition Theory of Afaf Ibrahim Meleis are constructive theories and serviceable in the nursing field. This paper gives an analysis of two nursing theories, comparing and contrasting their values.
Nursing is a unique profession which is built upon theories that guide everyday nursing practice. According to Taylor, Lillis, & Lynn (2015), “Nursing theory differentiates nursing from other disciplines and activities in that it serves the purposes of describing, explaining, predicting, and controlling desired outcomes of nursing care practices” (p. 27). Many nurses may unknowingly apply a theory or a combination thereof, along with critical thinking to get the best outcome for a patient. Theories are used in practice today because they have been supported by research and help the profession uphold its boundaries. Most nursing theories consist of four concepts which are the patient, the environment, health, and nursing. Each patient is at the center of focus and they have the right to determine what care will be given to them using informed
In each theory, the common thread in the definition of “nursing” is the interaction between the nurse and the patient with the intent to “do” something. The goal of that interaction may differ but nurses have to communicate and interact with their patients in order to have nursing. Each theory identifies “environment” differently; one as the “position of influence” ("enthronement," n.d.) and the other as the internal energy and external background. Each theory, again, has a different outlook on the meaning of “health” but each identifies that “health” is determined by the patient and is affected by not only the mechanical process of life but also the psychological, internal workings of the mind. Finally, a “person” by definition of both theories is the individual who has some type of health limitation requiring assistance from an outside party, the nurse, in-order to resolve that identified limitation. By knowing these similarities and differences, the nurse can identify how each theory can be used in the clinical
There are many nurse theorists who have created theories that have influenced standard care and practices for nurses today. One of these nurse theorists is Barbara Carper, R.N., Ed. D. who created the Fundamental Ways of Knowing theory. The Fundamental Ways of Knowing theory has four patterns of knowing: empirical, personal, aesthetic, and ethical. The Fundamental Ways of Knowing are brought together in the nursing process to effectively care for a patient.
Historically, the nursing discipline has borrowed its basis for knowledge and practice from other disciplines (Weaver & Olson, 2006). Today, inquiry specific to nursing is continually changing and growing, as nurses are increasingly interested in developing their own unique body of knowledge. This interest results partially from the emergence of nursing paradigms in recent years. According to Weaver & Olson (2006), paradigms are practices and beliefs that manage our knowledge by proving a framework with which to utilize within our profession, and to guide nursing research. A paradigm shapes our quest for epistemological awareness (Weaver & Olson, 2006). Examples of paradigms common within nursing are empirical, interpretive, and critical paradigms. While each paradigm is unique with sometimes competing focuses, each contributes greatly to nursing knowledge, practice, and research.
Nursing is a calling for you to be compassionate, caring, culturally sensitive, and non-judgmental to care for your patients physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Synthesizing science and art in nursing is intertwining knowledge, observation, experience, and evidence-based research to meet an individual’s specific needs. As nurses we will interact with patients who have different conditions and critical thinking will be a must which is both art and science. Searching for evidence-based practices to help your patient does not mean anything if your patient does not trust your instincts. It is your actions and words that are your art but your science is being able to back it up to obtain patient outcomes and goals that you are seeking.
I believe that nursing should be based on a continuum which includes; research, practice, and theory. As the professional nurse role has evolved each of these concepts collectively define the profession. “New knowledge is generated and effective interventions are developed through nursing science, new avenues for implementation, dissemination, and sustainability must also be considered” (Grady & Gough, 2015, p.518). Theory provides the foundation on which nursing as a profession is built. The ability to generate and apply theory defines the legitimacy of the profession (McCrae, 2012, p.222). Practice provides specific examination and experience that is important to the role of the nurse. Research is imperative to the advancement of care and
So I bring up this controversial topic again, about both mental and physical health and how important it is to take some time out of our crazy busy lives as nurses just to sit with our patients for a few minutes to discuss their pain. By pain, I mean both mental and physical pain. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a situation I was involved in as a nursing student in the clinical setting and how I can critically analyze this situation using Carper’s Fundamental Patterns of Knowing in Nursing (1978). This model has helped many practitioners to consider what they learn throughout reflection on their experience within a holistic way.
Positivism is a commitment to an empiricist epistemology, which holds that knowledge stems from our ability to observe patterns. (Cruickshank, 2012).The development of nursing knowledge has been greatly influenced by medicine, which uses a positivist paradigm a world-view that values scientific objectivity in understanding human experience (Pratt, 2012). We practice holistic nursing approach in restoring and maintaining individuals’ health and wellbeing instead of focusing on the curing of the disease. The mainstream development of nursing knowledge is still dominated by the positivistic perspective that emphasizes the use of objective knowledge, rather than human experiences, in the development of nursing knowledge (Pratt, 2012). Human sciences provide a crucial framework in nursing research, practice and knowledge development and should continue to be promoted.
Equally, the received view is the label for experiential positivism, which combines the objectives of empiricism with logic in the scientific theories’ development. The received view denotes a set of notions that have not yet been challenged (McEwen & Wills, 2014). On the other hand, the received view has various weaknesses when analyzing nursing as a science. According to the received view, science is seen as a value free where ethical considerations and traditional metaphysics are regarded as relatively insignificant. As such, nursing’s growth in theoretical advancement which has depended on the received view has made the progress to be slow. The received view ignores the underlying problems, and their causes by treating the symptoms. This has made nurses to struggle in creating meaningful theories as well as achieve its objectives of becoming a scientific
* Stimuli from the internal and external environments act as input to the nervous system and they influence the fluid, electrolyte and the acid base balance apart from the endocrine system. This information upon being automatically channelled in an appropriate manner produces an automatic, unconscious response (Roussel, n.d.).