The American Nurses Association (ANA) defines nursing as the “protection, promotion, optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations” (American Nurses Association website, n.d.). The ANA definition is an accurate representation of my personal definition of nursing. It embodies the fundamental duty of caring for both individuals and communities, encompasses the necessity of health promotion and prevention of disease, incorporates the scope of advanced nursing practice in diagnosis and treatment of disease, and includes nursing’s role as an advocate.
My personal …show more content…
Science of Nursing
Science is defined as “the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment” ("Oxford," n.d.). Carper identifies four components of nursing epistemology: empirics, ethics, esthetics and personal (Chinn, n.d) (Zander, 2007).
Empirical. Knowing is developed through the science and research about natural science, physiology and the pathophysiology of wellness and disease. This is consistent with the logical positivism paradigm of modernist theory. Measuring a blood pressure is meaningless without the scientific understanding of cardiac output. Science is the how I understand the physiologic underpinnings of nursing, and the expected physiologic response. Science is systematic, objective, and logical. It is how I know administering a beta-blocker will reduce heart rate and blood pressure.
Ethical. Knowing is gained through the concepts of rights, obligations and moral duty. Ethics are dependent upon ethical behaviors and morals that are inherent in each individual (Benner, 1982). It is a compilation of professional ethical standards developed by experts in the field and our own individual ethics derived from personal experiences, cultural, spiritual and social …show more content…
Reflecting upon class discussions and assignments, I realize I may not be conscious of specific theoretical frameworks, but theory influences my foundation of practice everyday. In my practice of vascular surgery, surgical intervention may be indicated based upon the evidence (positivist view), however past surgical experiences, perception of risk, socioeconomics, and fear of death or harm may impact the client’s decision (post-modern view) and re-define the treatment plan. Frequently, there are multiple approaches to care, thus prompting further exploration with open-ended questions to ascertain quality of life issues in clients’ with vascular disease (critical theory), allowing the client to reflect on their disease and treatment options and return at a later date to discuss a mutually agreed treatment plan (constructivism) (Thomas,
My personal …show more content…
Science of Nursing
Science is defined as “the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment” ("Oxford," n.d.). Carper identifies four components of nursing epistemology: empirics, ethics, esthetics and personal (Chinn, n.d) (Zander, 2007).
Empirical. Knowing is developed through the science and research about natural science, physiology and the pathophysiology of wellness and disease. This is consistent with the logical positivism paradigm of modernist theory. Measuring a blood pressure is meaningless without the scientific understanding of cardiac output. Science is the how I understand the physiologic underpinnings of nursing, and the expected physiologic response. Science is systematic, objective, and logical. It is how I know administering a beta-blocker will reduce heart rate and blood pressure.
Ethical. Knowing is gained through the concepts of rights, obligations and moral duty. Ethics are dependent upon ethical behaviors and morals that are inherent in each individual (Benner, 1982). It is a compilation of professional ethical standards developed by experts in the field and our own individual ethics derived from personal experiences, cultural, spiritual and social …show more content…
Reflecting upon class discussions and assignments, I realize I may not be conscious of specific theoretical frameworks, but theory influences my foundation of practice everyday. In my practice of vascular surgery, surgical intervention may be indicated based upon the evidence (positivist view), however past surgical experiences, perception of risk, socioeconomics, and fear of death or harm may impact the client’s decision (post-modern view) and re-define the treatment plan. Frequently, there are multiple approaches to care, thus prompting further exploration with open-ended questions to ascertain quality of life issues in clients’ with vascular disease (critical theory), allowing the client to reflect on their disease and treatment options and return at a later date to discuss a mutually agreed treatment plan (constructivism) (Thomas,