Philosophy of Nursing Research Papers (original) (raw)

In 2003, the John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing (Hartford Institute), in collaboration with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, conducted a survey of baccalaureate schools of nursing in the United... more

In 2003, the John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing (Hartford Institute), in collaboration with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, conducted a survey of baccalaureate schools of nursing in the United States to compare gerontological content to baseline data collected by the Hartford Institute in 1997. Since last surveyed in 1997, baccalaureate nursing programs have been the recipients of substantial new resources and initiatives focused on gerontological curriculum enhancement. While these initiatives are ongoing, and some are in an early stage of development, resurveying baccalaureate programs was seen as a means of taking a midcourse "pulse" as to the effectiveness of these efforts. Data suggest that there has been a fundamental shift in baccalaureate curriculum toward incorporation of a greater amount of gerontological content, integration of gerontological content in a greater number of nursing courses, and more diversity of clinical ...

Since its inception, phenomenological philosophy has exerted an influence on empirical science. But what is the best way to practice, use and apply phenomenology in a non-philosophical context? How deeply rooted in phenomenological... more

Since its inception, phenomenological philosophy has exerted an influence on empirical science. But what is the best way to practice, use and apply phenomenology in a non-philosophical context? How deeply rooted in phenomenological philosophy must qualitative research be in order to qualify as phenomenological? How many of the core commitments of phenomenology must it accept? In the following contribution, I will take a closer look at Max van Manen’s work. I will argue that van Manen’s understanding of and presentation of phenomenology is quite problematic and that his book "Phenomenology of Practice" rather than amounting to a clear and accessible presentation of the phenomenological method that would make it do-able to researchers who are not themselves professional philosophers is in fact both abstruse and excessively complicated. I will then turn to nursing, and by taking that as my example, outline a better way to apply and practice phenomenology.

Much emphasis has been placed on the importance of the environment as a determinant of health; however, little theoretical work in nursing has specifically articulated the importance of the nursing practice environment as a factor in... more

Much emphasis has been placed on the importance of the environment as a determinant of health; however, little theoretical work in nursing has specifically articulated the importance of the nursing practice environment as a factor in patient outcomes. This work advances the unitarytransformative-caring paradigm by focusing on the concept of integrality and exploring the nursing meta-paradigm concepts (nursing, environment, human being, and health) through integral philosophical inquiry.

Background. The World Health Organisation's Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion in 1986 sought to create a framework for health promotion action that conveyed the notion of capacity building as it related to specific settings. It... more

Background. The World Health Organisation's Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion in 1986 sought to create a framework for health promotion action that conveyed the notion of capacity building as it related to specific settings. It provided the catalyst from which the health-promoting ...

Determining nurse staffing levels: a critical review of the literature This paper presents an overview of current methods for determining nurse staffing requirements. A range of methods is described and the strengths and drawbacks of each... more

Determining nurse staffing levels: a critical review of the literature This paper presents an overview of current methods for determining nurse staffing requirements. A range of methods is described and the strengths and drawbacks of each are discussed. There follows an examination of some of the wider issues raised by the use of particular methods for determining nurse staffing. The paper concludes that since a perfect workload measurement system is unlikely ever to exist, such systems can be used to facilitate, but not to dictate, decisions about nurse staffing.

Anchored in one of the most dramatic social shifts in healthcare history, a Theory of Integral Nursing can inform and shape nursing practice, education, research and policy-local to global-to achieve a healthy world. A Theory of Integral... more

Anchored in one of the most dramatic social shifts in healthcare history, a Theory of Integral Nursing can inform and shape nursing practice, education, research and policy-local to global-to achieve a healthy world. A Theory of Integral Nursing, informed by integral theory, presents the philosophical foundation and application of an integral worldview and process. This theory also recognizes Florence Nightingale's philosophical foundation and legacy, healing and healing research, the meta-paradigm in a nursing theory (nurse, person(s), health and environment [society]), 6 patterns of knowing (personal, empirics, aesthetics, ethics, not knowing, sociopolitical), and other nonnursing theories. Key words: global health, healing, integral nursing, meta-paradigm in a nursing theory, micro to macro, nonlocality, patterns of knowing, Theory of Integral Nursing, transpersonal, transdisciplinarian, transdisciplinary dialogues A Theory of Integral Nursing does not exclude or invalidate other nurse theorists who have also informed my theory, specifically

Nursing's history is an important, yet overlooked component of the nursing curriculum. History learning offers an opportunity to develop nursing graduates as critical and constructive thinkers with a positive professional identity. An... more

Nursing's history is an important, yet overlooked component of the nursing curriculum. History learning offers an opportunity to develop nursing graduates as critical and constructive thinkers with a positive professional identity. An Australian national study of nursing academics conducted in 2008 found that even though participants valued history of nursing teaching, educators have difficulty finding a place for history in the crowded curriculum, due to an over-emphasis on technical skills. The study also found that history of nursing pedagogy is inconsistent and poorly developed, and teaching expertise is unevenly distributed and difficult to access. This paper is an attempt to advance nursing history pedagogy relevant to Australia, by promoting a transformative approach to curriculum design in history learning, considering issues of significance to Australian nursing, and creating exemplar activities.

Spirituality has been the subject of numerous journal articles and books in recent years. Research into this topic has been conducted in many spheres of nursing practice with the notable exception of military nursing. This article goes a... more

Spirituality has been the subject of numerous journal articles and books in recent years. Research into this topic has been conducted in many spheres of nursing practice with the notable exception of military nursing. This article goes a small way to addressing the apparent lack of research into spirituality in a military nursing setting by summarizing the findings of one study into this significant area of nursing care. The findings are derived from a mixed method quantitative/qualitative study of registered nurses in the Royal Australian Air Force. The major finding indicated that two distinct concepts of 'family' define the way in which this small group of nurses perceive, assess and implement care for the spiritual needs of their patients. These concepts comprise a traditional family structure and an extended military family structure that includes the person's unit and comrades-in-arms.

For a number of reasons qualitative techniques have taken firm root in nursing research generally and are of growing importance in research undertaken by nurse educators. But there is a great deal of confusion about the nature of the data... more

For a number of reasons qualitative techniques have taken firm root in nursing research generally and are of growing importance in research undertaken by nurse educators. But there is a great deal of confusion about the nature of the data which are produced by qualitative research, the way such data must be handled, and the use to which such data can be put. The confusion often results from a failure to differentiate between several orientations to qualitative data. Positivist research may use qualitative data (something not always recognized). It presupposes that there is some underlying, true, unequivocal reality, and a theory covering this is to be sought by the research. There must be evidence of validity-in the sense of a match between the data and the reality they are supposed to reveal. Non-positivist research is of a number of kinds, despite often being treated as unified. These will be treated in the second part of this paper.

Quality health care is an issue of concern worldwide, and nursing can and must play a major and global role in transforming the healthcare environment. Doctorally prepared nurses are very much needed in the discipline to further develop... more

Quality health care is an issue of concern worldwide, and nursing can and must play a major and global role in transforming the healthcare environment. Doctorally prepared nurses are very much needed in the discipline to further develop and expand the science, as well as to prepare its future educators, scholars, leaders, and policy makers. In 1968, the Master of Science in Nursing Program was initiated in Turkey, followed by the Nursing Doctoral Education Program in 1972. Six University Schools of Nursing provide nursing doctoral education. By the graduating year of 2001, 154 students had graduated with the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (Ph.D.), and 206 students were enrolled in related courses. Many countries in the world are systematically building various collaborative models in their nursing doctoral education programs. Turkey would like to play an active role in creating collaborative nursing doctoral education programs with other countries. This paper centres on the structure and model of doctoral education for nurses in Turkey. It touches on doctoral programs around the world; describes in detail nursing doctoral education in Turkey, including its program structure, admission process, course units, assessment strategies and dissertation procedure; and discusses efforts to promote Turkey as a potential partner in international initiatives to improve nursing doctoral education.

Remarks such as 'she's manipulative' and 'he's right off' are familiar to psychiatric nurses. This paper critiques the language nurses use in acute inpatient psychiatry services, highlighting the diverse discourses implicated in nurses'... more

Remarks such as 'she's manipulative' and 'he's right off' are familiar to psychiatric nurses. This paper critiques the language nurses use in acute inpatient psychiatry services, highlighting the diverse discourses implicated in nurses' writing and speaking about patients. Based on a review of the literature, this paper examines ethnographic studies and discourse analyses of psychiatric nurses' oral and written language. A prominent debate in the literature surrounds nurses' use of standardized language, which is the use of set terms for symptoms and nursing activities. This review of spoken descriptions of patients highlights nurses' use of informal and local descriptions, incorporating elements of moral judgement, common sense language and empathy. Research into written accounts in patient files and records show nurses' use of objectifying language, the dominance of medicine and the emergence of the language of bureaucracy in health services. Challenges to the language of psychiatry and psychiatric nursing arise from fields as diverse as bioscience, humanism and social theory. Authors who focus on the relationship between language, power and the discipline of nursing disagree in regard to their analysis of particular language as a constructive exercise of power by nurses. Thus, particular language is in some instances endorsed and in other instances censured, by nurses in research and practice. In this paper, a Foucauldian analysis provides further critique of taken-for-granted practices of speech and writing. Rather than censoring language, we recommend that nurses, researchers and educators attend to nurses' everyday language and explore what it produces for nurses, patients and society.

The philosophy of primary health care (PHC) recognizes that health is a product of individual, social, economic, and political factors and that people have a right and a duty, individually and collectively, to participate in the course of... more

The philosophy of primary health care (PHC) recognizes that health is a product of individual, social, economic, and political factors and that people have a right and a duty, individually and collectively, to participate in the course of their own health. The majority of nursing models cast the client in a dependent role and do not conceptualize health in a social, economic, and political context. The Prince Edward Island Conceptual Model for Nursing is congruent with the international move towards PHC. It guides the nurse in practising in the social and political environment in which nursing and health care take place. This model features a nurse/client partnership, the goal being to encourage clients to act on their own behalf. The conceptualization of the environment as the collective influence of the determinants of health gives both nurse and client a prominent position in the sociopolitical arena of health and health care.

The paper addresses the question of normative analysis of the value-based aspects of nursing. In our perspective, values in science may be distinguished into: a) epistemic when related to the goals of truth and objectivity; b)... more

The paper addresses the question of normative analysis of the value-based aspects of nursing. In our perspective, values in science may be distinguished into: a) epistemic when related to the goals of truth and objectivity; b) non-epistemic when related to social, cultural or political aspects. Furthermore, values can be called constitutive when necessary for a scientific enterprise, or contextual when contingently associated with science. Analysis of the roles of the various forms of values and models of knowledge translation provides the ground to understand the specific role of values in nursing. A conceptual framework has been built to classify some of the classical perspectives on nursing knowledge and to examine the relationships between values and different forms of knowledge in nursing. It follows that adopting a normative perspective in the analysis of nursing knowledge provides key-elements to identify its proper dimension.

Purpose: To present the Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior (IMCHB) as a model to guide nurse practitioners (NPs) in their practice. Data sources: Selected research-based articles on Cox's IMCHB and selected text and writings on... more

Purpose: To present the Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior (IMCHB) as a model to guide nurse practitioners (NPs) in their practice. Data sources: Selected research-based articles on Cox's IMCHB and selected text and writings on the NP movement and nursing practice models. Conclusions: Many NPs practice in a medical setting where the boundaries between medicine and nursing are blurred. The IMCHB offers a nursing model to guide NPs in their practice. Implications for practice: A nursing model that examines the elements of client uniqueness and assesses the interaction between NP and client can achieve positive health outcomes.

In the culture of health care, nurses are challenged to understand their values and beliefs as humanistic within complex technical and economically driven bureaucratic systems. This article outlines the language of social justice and... more

In the culture of health care, nurses are challenged to understand their values and beliefs as humanistic within complex technical and economically driven bureaucratic systems. This article outlines the language of social justice and human rights and the advance of a Theory of Relational Caring Complexity, which offers insights into caring as emancipatory nursing praxis. Recommendations provide knowledge of the struggle to balance economics, technology, and caring. As nurses practice from a value-driven, philosophical, and ethical social justice framework, they will find “their voice” and realize the full potential that the power of caring has on patient and organizational outcomes. Key words: caring, human rights, nursing praxis, social justice, Theory of Relational Caring Complexity

This paper is concerned with aspects of responsibility in Norwegian public health nursing. Public health nursing is an expansive profession with diffuse boundaries. The Norwegian public health nurse does not perform 'hands on' nursing,... more

This paper is concerned with aspects of responsibility in Norwegian public health nursing. Public health nursing is an expansive profession with diffuse boundaries. The Norwegian public health nurse does not perform 'hands on' nursing, but focuses on the prevention of illness, injury, or disability, and the promotion of health. What is the essence of ethical responsibility in public health nursing? The aim of this article is to explore the phenomenon based on the ethics of responsibility as reflected upon by the philosopher Emanuel Levinas . From an ethical point of view, responsibility is about our duty towards the Other, a duty we have not always chosen, are prepared for, or can fully explain; but it is nevertheless a demand we have to live with. Interviews with five experienced Norwegian nurses provide the empirical base for reflection and interpretation. The nurses share stories from their practice. In interpreting the nurses' stories, the following themes emerge: personal responsibility ; boundaries ; temporality ; worry, fear, and uncertainty ; and a sense of satisfaction. As the themes are developed further, it becomes apparent that, despite their diversity, they are all interrelated aspects of ethical responsibility. Responsibility for the Other cannot be avoided, ignored, or transferred. The nurses' responsibility is personal and infinite. Levinasian ethics can help nurses understand the importance of accepting that being a responsive carer can involve not only contentment in the predictable, but also the fear, worry, and uncertainty of the unpredictable.

Maori are often confronted with nursing practices and services that are at odds with their traditionally wholistic and spiritually based worldview. Keeping Maori clients the central focus of nursing practice can be challenging for nurses... more

Maori are often confronted with nursing practices and services that are at odds with their traditionally wholistic and spiritually based worldview. Keeping Maori clients the central focus of nursing practice can be challenging for nurses but is one way they can increase their efficacy when working with Maori. However, in the nursing literature there is an absence of models to guide Maori centred nursing practice, that is, models constructed within a Maori cultural context. Te Kapunga Putohe (the restless hands) is a Maori centred nursing practice model that uses the hands to illustrate how Maori knowledge and the knowledge of nurses can be incorporated into the health experiences of Maori clients. This paper explains how nurses who possess knowledge of Te Ao Maori can use Te Kapunga Putohe (the restless hands) to work with Maori in a culturally appropriate and acceptable way to improve health outcomes.

In this paper sociological theories of the professions and the organisation of work are drawn on to explain current developments in the organisation of maternity care. Utilising the literature on the sociology of the professions and... more

In this paper sociological theories of the professions and the organisation of work are drawn on to explain current developments in the organisation of maternity care. Utilising the literature on the sociology of the professions and general trends in health policy and labour markets, possible reasons for the current renaissance in midwifery and some implications for midwives are discussed. Thus, whilst some women and midwives may be building a paradigm of 'womancentred' practice based on an equal partnership, for other midwives, the result may be a divided workforce consisting of an elite core and casualised periphery based on the ability to give a full-time flexible commitment to work. The implications of excluding those midwives who are unable to combine fulltime work with their own domestic commitments are discussed.

A L L M A R K P . ( 2 0 0 5 ) A L L M A R K P . ( 2 0 0 5 ) Journal of Advanced Nursing 51(6), 618-624 Can the study of ethics enhance nursing practice? Aim. The aim of this paper is to suggest that the study of ethics and ethical... more

A L L M A R K P . ( 2 0 0 5 ) A L L M A R K P . ( 2 0 0 5 ) Journal of Advanced Nursing 51(6), 618-624 Can the study of ethics enhance nursing practice? Aim. The aim of this paper is to suggest that the study of ethics and ethical theories can enhance nursing practice. Discussion. Knowledge of ethical theories can be of practical use to nurses in at least three ways. First, it can help nurses uncover to what extent a problem is an ethical one. The questions faced in practice can be empirical, formal or philosophical. Very often, a practical decision requires us to tackle all three types. In the example of a 'Do not attempt resuscitation' order, deciding on whether such an order is appropriate requires us to answer empirical questions such as how likely any attempt is to achieve success. It also requires us to answer formal questions such as whether the law permits such an order in the present circumstance. Finally, it requires us to answer ethical/philosophical questions, such as how we should weigh up quality of life against quantity. Second, it can enable practitioners to develop skills and tools to tackle ethical/philosophical questions. In this paper I describe two such tools: Socratic questioning and Aristotelian dialectic. Third, it can help practitioners to develop the soundness of their ethical values and beliefs. All ethical reasoning requires us to use our values and beliefs, and attending to them enhances the quality of our reasoning. Conclusion. The study of ethics can enhance nursing practice.

BENZEIN EG, HAGBERG M and SAVEMAN B-I. Nursing Inquiry 2008; 15: 106-115 'Being appropriately unusual': a challenge for nurses in health-promoting conversations with families This study describes the theoretical assumptions and the... more

BENZEIN EG, HAGBERG M and SAVEMAN B-I. Nursing Inquiry 2008; 15: 106-115 'Being appropriately unusual': a challenge for nurses in health-promoting conversations with families This study describes the theoretical assumptions and the application for health-promoting conversations, as a communication tool for nurses when talking to patients and their families. The conversations can be used on a promotional, preventive and healing level when working with family-focused nursing. They are based on a multiverse, salutogenetic, relational and reflecting approach, and acknowledge each person's experience as equally valid, and focus on families' resources, and the relationship between the family and its environment. By posing reflective questions, reflection is made possible for both the family and the nurses. Family members are invited to tell their story, and they can listen to and learn from each other. Nurses are challenged to build a co-creating partnership with families in order to acknowledge them as experts on how to lead their lives and to use their own expert knowledge in order to facilitate new meanings to surface. In this way, family health can be enhanced.

A critical analysis of Neuman's systems model in relation to public health nursing The pubhc health movement is an old discipline bemg given new^ life and meaning based on a recognition of contmumg health problems assoaated with soaal... more

A critical analysis of Neuman's systems model in relation to public health nursing The pubhc health movement is an old discipline bemg given new^ life and meaning based on a recognition of contmumg health problems assoaated with soaal lnequahties The 'new pubhc health' movement has goals w^hich are closely aligned to those of the World Health Organization m their Health for All by 2000 initiative which represent a collective approach to health m contrast to the current pohtical emphasis on mdividual responsibility for health Pubhc health nursing is a relatively new concept m Bntam but posts are beginnmg to be established m many areas where nurses are w^orkmg m partnership with commumties m a public health capaaty At a time when this area of nursmg is m its relative infancy it is appropnate to develop a dear philosophy and framev^fork and to examme potential strategies This paper sets out to contnbute to the development of this disaplme by cntically analysing the work of Betty Neuman to determme its utility for pubbc health nursing

C . ( 2 0 0 2 ) Journal of Advanced Nursing 37(5), 462±469 Using chaos theory: the implications for nursing Aims of the paper. The purpose of this paper is to review chaos theory and to examine the role that it may have in the discipline... more

C . ( 2 0 0 2 ) Journal of Advanced Nursing 37(5), 462±469 Using chaos theory: the implications for nursing Aims of the paper. The purpose of this paper is to review chaos theory and to examine the role that it may have in the discipline of nursing. Background. In this paper, the fundamental ingredients of chaotic thinking are outlined. The earlier days of chaos thinking were characterized by an almost exclusively physiological focus. By the 21st century, nurse theorists were applying its principles to the organization and evaluation of care delivery with varying levels of success. Whilst the biological use of chaos has focused on pragmatic approaches to knowledge enhancement, nursing has often focused on the mystical aspects of chaos as a concept.

A phenomenological hermeneutical method for researching lived experience

Whether conducted in a university or the healthcare field, research with human subjects gives rise to a multitude of ethical questions for healthcare professionals. While engaging in ongoing professional development on how to conduct... more

Whether conducted in a university or the healthcare field, research with human subjects gives rise to a multitude of ethical questions for healthcare professionals. While engaging in ongoing professional development on how to conduct research ethically, both clinicians and scientists need to expand their knowledge to provide answers to the following questions: Which ethical theories serve as a foundation for ethical principles in research ethics? What ethical principles should a researcher respect when conducting research with human subjects? What does it mean to conduct research ethically? What ethical dilemmas are encountered by a researcher in conducting research? This paper provides a review of ethical theories, and the ethical basis of guidelines developed and used to guide human subject research. Ethical behaviors and the personal responsibility of the researcher conducting research with human subjects are discussed along with the ethical considerations in research designs and methods.

This article discusses the value of a narrative approach to understand the experiences of people with severe mental illnesses and the systems around them, and the importance of narrative in the patient-practitioner relationship.These are... more

This article discusses the value of a narrative approach to understand the experiences of people with severe mental illnesses and the systems around them, and the importance of narrative in the patient-practitioner relationship.These are important concepts in the shift to recovery-oriented systems. People lead storied lives which provide coherence and meaning, but that story has the potential to be change. Both consumers and practitioners have stories, and it is the shared decision-making between them that can lead to recovery. Narratives can be illness narratives, initiated by an illness and the search for meaning in it, or counterstories which are inherently political. The article identifies a Framework for Understanding Stories as a means for listening to and understanding stories at multiple levels. It can be useful for nurses to understand complexity and multilevel aspects of an inidvidual's experience. Although people tell their own individual stories, they compose them by adapting narrative types, which a culture makes available. Programs tells a story and provide an important context for both consumers and practitioners. Dominant societal narratives provide an overall context which can be empowering or disempowering for programs, consumers and practitioners.Thus, as the recovery paradigm has become more prominent, peoplewith mental illnesses have increasingly talked and written about recovery.

Title. Ethical sensitivity in professional practice: concept analysis. Aim. This paper is a report of a concept analysis of ethical sensitivity. Background. Ethical sensitivity enables nurses and other professionals to respond morally to... more

Title. Ethical sensitivity in professional practice: concept analysis. Aim. This paper is a report of a concept analysis of ethical sensitivity. Background. Ethical sensitivity enables nurses and other professionals to respond morally to the suffering and vulnerability of those receiving professional care and services. Because of its significance to nursing and other professional practices, ethical sensitivity deserves more focused analysis. Data sources. A criteria-based method oriented toward pragmatic utility guided the analysis of 200 papers and books from the fields of nursing, medicine, psychology, dentistry, clinical ethics, theology, education, law, accounting or business, journalism, philosophy, political and social sciences and women's studies. This literature spanned 1970 to 2006 and was sorted by discipline and concept dimensions and examined for concept structure and use across various contexts. The analysis was completed in September 2007. Findings. Ethical sensitivity in professional practice develops in contexts of uncertainty, client suffering and vulnerability, and through relationships characterized by receptivity, responsiveness and courage on the part of professionals. Essential attributes of ethical sensitivity are identified as moral perception, affectivity and dividing loyalties. Outcomes include integrity preserving decision-making, comfort and well-being, learning and professional transcendence. Our findings promote ethical sensitivity as a type of practical wisdom that pursues client comfort and professional satisfaction with care delivery. Conclusion. The analysis and resulting model offers an inclusive view of ethical sensitivity that addresses some of the limitations with prior conceptualizations.

When student nurses enter higher education establishments to commence their nurse education it is expected that they would hold lay beliefs of mental health and mental illness. Lay beliefs are generally informed by the medical model of... more

When student nurses enter higher education establishments to commence their nurse education it is expected that they would hold lay beliefs of mental health and mental illness. Lay beliefs are generally informed by the medical model of mental health. It is argued that there are many other beliefs and approaches to mental health that student nurses (of all branches) should consider before graduating into the health care world dominated by the medical model of mental health and mental illness. A number of other approaches and theories are summarised and offered as examples to student nurses for their consideration.

Personal integrity is often seen as a core value for delivering ethical healthcare. This paper will explore what this might mean and particularly what place integrity has in a multi-professional healthcare system. Two opposing arguments... more

Personal integrity is often seen as a core value for delivering ethical healthcare. This paper will explore what this might mean and particularly what place integrity has in a multi-professional healthcare system. Two opposing arguments can be made: the first is that the multi-professional nature of modern healthcare means that personal integrity is at best a futile luxury and at worst, an obstacle to delivering affordable high-quality care to large populations. The converse is that without personal integrity healthcare loses its humanity and becomes mere biological and social engineering. Part of the analysis rests on whether integrity is primarily a personally held moral framework or whether it is a social concept. Chester Calhoun's analysis, in which she identifies the integrated-self, personal identity, and (morally) clean-hands as three pictures of integrity, is used as the basis for suggesting that integrity is a rich and complex social virtue through which the individual ...

This article describes the Holistic Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. It defines holistic nursing, its five core values, and its practice standards. These include holistic philosophy, theory, and ethics; holistic caring process;... more

This article describes the Holistic Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. It defines holistic nursing, its five core values, and its practice standards. These include holistic philosophy, theory, and ethics; holistic caring process; holistic communication, therapeutic environment, and cultural diversity; holistic education and research; and holistic nurse self-care. Educational preparation for holistic nursing and settings in which holistic nurses practice are also explored.

In the current professional climate, research activities are highly valued with nurses in all sectors actively encouraged to participate. However, working environments for many nurses are such that it can be difficult to privilege... more

In the current professional climate, research activities are highly valued with nurses in all sectors actively encouraged to participate. However, working environments for many nurses are such that it can be difficult to privilege research activities in any sustained way. A number of organisational challenges coalesce to impede participation in research activities, including limited resources, lack of skills, knowledge and opportunities, and a culture of individualism. Strong, effective research leadership is essential to help mediate some of these negative aspects of organisational life, and promote creative environments to facilitate the development of research capacity. Servant leadership is a service-oriented approach that focuses on valuing and developing people, and offers a participatory and collaborative framework within which to build creative and productive research communities. Such communities can encourage connectedness between people, deepen the capacity for supportive collegiality, and foster a holistic social learning milieu to support researchers of all levels, including early career researchers and research higher degree candidates.

Reasons for the limited uptake of the clinician-scientist role within nursing are examined, specifically: the lack of consensus about the nature of nursing science; the varying approaches to epistemology; and the influence of post-modern... more

Reasons for the limited uptake of the clinician-scientist role within nursing are examined, specifically: the lack of consensus about the nature of nursing science; the varying approaches to epistemology; and the influence of post-modern thought on knowledge development in nursing. It is suggested that under-development of this role may be remedied by achieving agreement that science is a necessary, worthy pursuit for nursing, and that rigorous science conducted from a clinical perspective serves nursing well. Straddling practice and research is a powerful strategy for ensuring relevant research while forging strong links with practice. The clinician-scientist role, typically requiring a 75:25 ratio between research and clinical activities, is well established in medicine. Nursing, however, has been slow to institute the role; it is rare within North America, Australia, and western European countries, and almost non-existent outside those areas. Beyond structural obstacles, philosophical issues may explain nursing's reluctance to implement the role. Following a survey of clinician-scientist roles throughout the world, the nature of nursing science and epistemology, and the influence of post-modern thought on nursing attitudes to research are examined with respect to their influence on this role. The nurse clinician-scientist role holds promise for making strides in clinically relevant research, and for accelerating the knowledge cycle from clinical problem to research question to change in clinical practice.

Purpose: T he purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a 12-month restorative care (Res-Care) intervention on the beliefs related to Res-Care, knowledge of Res-Care, observed performance of Res-Care with residents, and job... more

Purpose: T he purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a 12-month restorative care (Res-Care) intervention on the beliefs related to Res-Care, knowledge of Res-Care, observed performance of Res-Care with residents, and job satisfaction among nursing assistants (NAs) in nursing home (NH) settings. Design and Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial including 12 sites and used a repeated measure design with follow-up testing done at 4 and 12 months. An intention-to-treat principle was followed in all analyses, and generalized estimating equations were used to perform repeated measures. A total of 556 NAs consented to participate and completed baseline assessments (265 in treatment and 258 in control sites), 427 completed 4-month follow-up (218 in treatment and 195 in control sites), and 357 completed 12-month follow-up (168 in treatment and 158 in control sites). Results: There was a statistically signifi cant increase in the treatment group participants ' outcome expectations related to Res-Care activities (p = .04) and performance of Res-Care (p < .001) at 4 months, and an increase in knowledge of Res-Care (p < .001) and job satisfaction (p < .001) at 12 months. There was no difference between the groups with regard to self-effi cacy expectations. Implication: This study provides an important step in understanding the implementation of a Res-Care philosophy in NH settings and the benefi t this can have for NAs.

Practical nursing skills ensure patients'physical comfort, hygiene, and safe medical treatment. The learning, performance, or significance of nursing practical skills are seldom a theme in theoretical and philosophical debate or the topic... more

Practical nursing skills ensure patients'physical comfort, hygiene, and safe medical treatment. The learning, performance, or significance of nursing practical skills are seldom a theme in theoretical and philosophical debate or the topic of research within nursing. This might be due to a long-standing behavioristic tradition in nursing of viewing nursing practical skills in a simplistic way, only as correctly sequenced motor movement. The purpose of this article is to bring forth an argument for a broader understanding of the constitution of nursing practical skills. This argument is substantiated by a review of past and present conceptualizations of nursing practical skills as well as by philosophical reflections on the value of practical skills in the nursing profession. Nursing practical skills embrace dimensions of performance, intention, and nursing "disciplined" understanding.

The purpose of this paper is to present the theoretical and philosophical assumptions of the Nursing Manifesto, written by three activist scholars whose objective was to promote emancipatory nursing research, practice, and education... more

The purpose of this paper is to present the theoretical and philosophical assumptions of the Nursing Manifesto, written by three activist scholars whose objective was to promote emancipatory nursing research, practice, and education within the dialogue and praxis of social justice. Inspired by discussions with a number of nurse philosophers at the 2008 Knowledge Conference in Boston, two of the original Manifesto authors and two colleagues discussed the need to explicate emancipatory knowing as it emerged from the Manifesto. Our analysis yielded an epistemological framework based on liberation principles to advance praxis in the discipline of nursing. This paper adds to what is already known on this topic, as there is not an explicit contribution to the literature of this specific Manifesto, its significance, and utility for the discipline. While each of us have written on emancipatory knowing and social justice in a variety of works, it is in this article that we identify, as a unit of knowledge production and as a direction towards praxis, a set of critical values that arose from the emancipatory conscience-ness and intention seen in the framework of the Nursing Manifesto.

Grounded theory is a popular research methodology that is evolving to account for a range of ontological and epistemological underpinnings. Constructivist grounded theory has its foundations in relativism and an appreciation of the... more

Grounded theory is a popular research methodology that is evolving to account for a range of ontological and epistemological underpinnings. Constructivist grounded theory has its foundations in relativism and an appreciation of the multiple truths and realities of subjectivism. Undertaking a constructivist inquiry requires the adoption of a position of mutuality between researcher and participant in the research process, which necessitates a rethinking of the grounded theorists' traditional role of objective observer. Key issues for constructivist grounded theorists to consider in designing their research studies are discussed in relation to developing a partnership with participants that enables a mutual construction of meaning during interviews and a meaningful reconstruction of their stories into a grounded theory model.