Knowing in Nursing: The Four Fundamental Patterns

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Nursing knowledge is categorized into four different fundamental patterns of knowing. These patterns are empirics, esthetics, personal knowledge in nursing, and moral knowledge in nursing. The patters of knowing are important when it comes to both the teaching and practice of nursing and are crucial within the discipline of nursing as a whole. This paper will summarize the science of nursing, the art of nursing, personal knowledge in nursing, and moral knowledge in nursing and will also apply moral knowledge to nursing practice today. Each of the patterns has equal significance in nursing and all are required to give adequate care to the vast uniqueness of patients.
Empirics is the science of nursing and was once not considered a major term within the literature of nursing, but has recently gained more significance in the field. Empirics are organized into theories in order to describe, explain, and predict concerning issues in the nursing profession. The theories are based on evidence and are used to organize and classify knowledge. Empirical evidence is also able to provide explanations that allow for more advanced predictions of patients receiving care in medical settings. While humans have varying and unique lives, science gives a life timeline that can help better predict things about any given individual at a specific time in their life. The expected life ranges also allow for better observation of variations in both health and wellness based on their internal and external environments. Adaptation is also a crucial aspect to examining the impact of environment on health status. Ability to adapt to environmental stressors dictates whether or not an individual can maintain or regain the goal of health desired by the human bod...

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...s an important aspect to apply to practice. Nursing requires serious decision-making and examining what is considered what is wrong and right both locally and across the world is crucial. This country is made up of people of unique and diverse backgrounds so being able to understand what others believe to be appropriate will help nurses give the best patient care and will aid in difficult decision making. Also being able to have knowledge to build moral beliefs will give professionals confidence in the decisions they make even when they are being questioned. The researcher will strive to gain as much knowledge from other cultures as well as their own to apply moral knowing in nursing. Ultimately, each pattern of knowing is important in proper nursing practice and will result in providing patient care that is appropriate and accepted within the health care industry.

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