The nurse, Allison, in the case study used a wide variety of knowledge in order to best care for her patients in a holistic approach. In this section, five different types of knowledge will be discussed and explained how Allison used each type to nurse her patients. Carper, Van der Zalm, Bergum and Wolfer described empirical knowledge as “the knowledge we consider to be “fact,” such as what we read in textbooks, or what has been demonstrated through research” (as cited in Bungay, 2005). Allison consistently applied empirical knowledge throughout the beginning of her shift. A few examples of when empirical knowledge was applied in her nursing included listening to report and gathering all the information on the patients in order to determine her priorities of care. Explaining the benefits of a nicotine patch to Mr. Nelson as well as when she determined Mr. Nelsons oxygen supply and demand was adequate due to her assessment of the cardiac monitors, his work of breath and by observing the colour of his skin.
Another type of knowledge that Allison used in her patient care was ethical knowledge. Van der Zalm and Bergum determined that “ethical knowledge represents knowledge that supports us to choose and be responsible for the right action in a situation” (as cited in Bungay, 2005). An examples of when Allison used ethical knowledge in her care was when she made the ethical decision on which patient she should visit first, that being Mrs. Johnson. This is an example of ethical knowledge because since Mrs. Johnson was the newest admit, and had had a cardioversion forty-five minutes prior, she was the most unstable patient of Allison’s. Had Allison made the choice to assess her other patient’s first it would have not been the re...
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...to her about how they were feeling regarding their hospitalization.
Finally, the effects of the immediate environment play a role in the interactions between a nurse and then patient. Being in the hospital, there are many foreign sounds such as call bell and codes going on all the time. Although Allison may have use to the loud noises on the ward, for the patients, this is new to them. This could have played a factor in Mr. Nelson’s inability to sleep, which altered his mood. Being in a new environment, especially a hospital can be unnerving for patients taking them out of their comfort zones.
References
Bungay, V. (2005). Module 1 High Acuity Nursing Practice [PDF document]. J.L. Dehaan, 2012, (Ed.). British Columbia Institute of Technology, School of Health Sciences. Retrieved from https://learn.bcit.ca/d2l/le/content/188743/viewContent/1059245/View
A critical analysis of the four fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing is essential for nurses to be able to grasp the complicated nature of the nursing practice. Barbara Carper (1978) lists the four patterns of knowing as: empirics, esthetics, personal knowledge, and ethics or moral knowledge (p.14). The science of nursing is called empirics and the connection of art to nursing is referred to as esthetics (Carper, 1978, p.14). These patterns are four very complex areas of nursing that every nurse must consider in order to be as successful as possible in providing care. In this evaluation the author will discuss how these concepts affect present learning and practice.
Critical thinking and knowledge are the foundation of nursing practice, and the most essential elements in providing quality nursing care. Nu...
A nurse’s role in decision making is minimal depending on the place of work residence. Authors Shoni Davis, Vivian Schrader, and Marcia J. Belcheir’s opinion on Ethical decision making in nursing is “a process that involves making an ethical consideration of a patient care situation” (738-749). It seems like nurses can just cite immediately or take a hunch of what is wrong with a patient, but doctors are the ones that actually do the direct diagnosing. There have been many decision making processes and theories. Each has its own unique concepts and terminology, but all have similar components. It identifies good nur...
Carper’s (1978) pivotal work of identifying nursing’s ways of knowing was a seminal work that laid the foundation for further analysis. Her ways of knowing have identified methods that have allowed the nursing discipline to further its own knowledge as well as the profession. Two other ways of knowing have emerged, Munall’s (1993) “unknowing” pattern; and also sociopolitical knowing by Zander (2011, p. 9) or emancipatory pattern (Chinn & Kramer, 2011, p. 5). Here these patterns are discussed through experiences in my personal practice.
K.W. often needs to communicate his knowledge both to the patient and in the patient’s chart. This competency relates to assessing for the best available evidence to influence healthcare outcomes (National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, 2012).
Carper identifies four fundamental patterns of knowing that contribute to the structure of nursing knowledge and the promotion of safe, quality patient care, including empirics, esthetics, personal knowledge, and ethics (1978). According to Carper, empirical knowledge is knowledge of the science behind nursing practice (1978). With empirical knowledge, a nurse relies on the scientific facts she has collected throughout her years of education and experience and applies them to patient care in order to provide the best care possible. Knowledge of esthetics, according to Carper, is knowledge of the art of nursing (1978). Esthetic knowledge allows the nurse to rely on her perceptions and intuitions about what a patient really needs to creatively design and implement the types of care that will be the most effective and satisfying for her patient (Carper, 1978). The third way of knowing, personal knowledge, involves knowing, recognizing, and utilizing the role the individual self plays in nursing practice (Carper, 1978). Carper introduces the idea of therapeutic use of self, in which the nurse sees the patient as more than just an object that needs tending to and instead as another human being to form a relationship with (1978). Personal knowledge drives the nurse to think of how she would want to be treated if the roles were reversed, and motivates the nurse to engage the patient in every aspect of their care so they receive quality care that is tailored to their specific needs. The last way of knowing, ethical knowledge, is defined by Carper as encompassing a nurse’s sense of the right versus the wrong thing to do in a given patient situation (1978). A nurse has to rely on her moral intuition to make sure that every judgment call being made on a patient’s care are all ethical and in the best interest of the
Thorne, S. (2010). Theoretical Foundation of Nursing Practice. In P.A, Potter, A.G. Perry, J.C, Ross-Kerr, & M.J. Wood (Eds.). Canadian fundamentals of nursing (Revised 4th ed.). (pp.63-73). Toronto, ON: Elsevier.
Relational inquiry is a process that both supports and necessitates different ways of knowing and different types of knowledge (Hartrick Doane & Varcoe, 2015, p.227). Furthermore, nursing knowledge is constructed and contextualized within the activity of the nurse as a 'knower ' and is an integration of the different ways of knowing (Antrobus, 1997, p. 830). Reflecting on these aspects of relational inquiry and the ways of knowing can enhance a nurses ability as a 'knower '. The intent of this paper is to summarize and analyze myself as a 'knower ' while reflecting on the different levels of inquiry and ways of knowing.
Likewise, in CNO Practice Standards, the nurse demonstrates knowledge application by identifying and recognizing abnormal or unexpected client responses and taking action appropriately by using or not using restraint. Using pre-existing knowledge in conjunction with observational and critical thinking skills, the nurse must be able to assess a patient’s condition and determine the most appropriate course of action. Every patient’s situation is distinct and unique; the nurse needs to be able to respond to that difference and make an appropriate
This paper is about my experience not just in nursing but also in life that is applicable in the five ways of knowing, which are Personal, Empirical, Esthetics, Ethical , and Personal Knowing by Carper and Emancipator by Chin and Kramer and are defined by Brugger & Madison (2017) as:
One of the most essential aspects of doing a job well, no matter what job it is, is the ability to think critically about a situation. Finn (2011) defines critical thinking as “the ability and willingness to assess claims and make objective judgments on the basis of well-supported reasons and evidence rather than emotion or anecdote”. The difference between assessing a certain situation critically and assessing it without any evidence to corroborate your claims is that when you look at something critically, you are using your ability to “come up with the alternative explanations for events, think of research findings and apply new knowledge to social and personal problems” (Finn, 2011). When you can come up with other explanations using evidence, you can also create an alternative way of enhancing the situation. Critical thinking skills are especially important to nurses in a fast-paced setting. Nursing is a very demanding and rewarding field to enter into; it becomes enjoyable when you are good at it. In order to be good at their jobs, nurses need to learn the skills required to think critically and also, relate those skills to their everyday routines. This is known as evidence-based practice. Evidence-based practice is defined as “using the best scientific evidence available to guide clinical decisions and interventions with the goals of fostering self-management skills and improving health outcomes” (Miller, 2011). This paper examines the skills required for critical thinking, how to learn these skills, and how to apply them in clinical settings. (Miller, 2011; Finn, 2011; Noonan, 2011; Lunney, 2010; Wangensteen, Johansson, Bjorkstrom & Nordstrom, 2010; Chitty & Black, 2011).
For nursing, research has played a major role in the way clinical practice is done. Research has allowed nurses to provide appropriate care to patients. It allows them to perform their job by providing them the tools and information they need in order to make the decisions on the concerns for caring the patient (Polit & Beck, 2006). Moreover, research can also take focus on the workers themselves in order to improve the practice both on a professional and personal level. An example of a study conducted by King, Vidourek, and Schweibert of University of Cincinnati created a study to determine if there is a correlation between ...
ANA describes “The Scope of Nursing Practice (as) the “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “why,” and “how’ (8).’ In other words, it is the responsibility of the nurse to know who their patient is, what the patient’s diagnosis and treatment are, where it is they will be delivering treatment, the rationale behind their actions, and how they will deliver the care. By following the scope of practice, nurses reduce avoidable errors and are aware of the liability their actions entail. The ANA also puts forth a nursing process to guide nurses in treatment. The constantly evolving process is currently assessment, diagnosis, identification of outcomes, planning, implementation, and evaluation (ANA 9). Though this method has dramatically improved nursing care, it may be necessary to repeat steps to adapt to a patient’s changing needs and pathologies. By following guidelines set by the ANA, nurses are able to better connect with their patients and instill the image of professionalism to the public while also optimizing safety
It is essential that the practice be dependent and based on nursing fundamentals. These concepts are the foundation of the profession, which have been proven to be tried-and-true. They offer guidance and assistance for those in the nursing profession, by way of providing knowledge and ideas. The fundamentals that are taught in modern day nursing stress the importance of individual needs, both in a psychological and physiological fashion. As society continues to evolve, so will the standards of this particular
Knowledge can be seen as the main focus of nursing qualities as it is a lifelong skill that is learned throughout a nurse’s career. In nursing, knowledge can be classified as theoretical or practice-based. Practice-based knowledge is attained through the nurse-patient encounter. According to Mantzoukas and Jasper (2008), a nurse’s nonverbal and verbal communication exhibits the nurse’s practice- based knowledge. When nurses demonstrate appropriate communication patients feel understood and comfortable within the relationship. It is difficult for a nurse to obtain this knowledge without taking an autonomous and individual approach for each patient (Mantzoukas & Jasper, 2008). Taking an autonomous approach allows for the nurse’s critical thinking to improve as well. Good critical thinking skills increases the chances of achieving desired patient outcomes as the nurse is able to analyze the situation effectively. Theoretical knowledge is acquired through education. This type of knowledge is expressed through what nurses know and the logical information the nurse possess in relation to their practice. Theoretical knowledge is also important as it makes the nurse competent and capable of carrying out simple tasks. From the coat of arms, it is evident that knowledge is a unifying quality that is the foundation for acquiring other qualities necessary for