The Theory of Meaning
Patricia L. Starck
“Man’s main concern is not to gain pleasure or to avoid pain but rather to see a meaning in his life” (Frankl, 1992). This powerful statement by Viktor Frankl is among the fundamental concepts upon which the theory of meaning was developed by Patricia L. Starck. Starck, (2014) describes her 20 year professional relationship with Viktor Frankl and her extensive involvement with Frankl’s logotherapy as being great influences on the development of the theory of meaning (Smith & Liehr, 2014).
Viktor Frankl Viktor Frankl was an Austrian Neurologist and Psychiatrist who was also interned at four different concentration camps during the Nazi occupation from 1942 until 1945 when he was liberated by the Americans. …show more content…
The first of these concepts is life purpose. This is the central concept to the theory and seeks to answer questions of “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?”. It provides a summary of reasons for one’s existence. It proposes that each person is unique and that they must discover their own meaning, it cannot be given to them or defined for them by another. It is also under this concept that Frankl speaks of self-transcendence, which is related closely to life purpose and encompasses doing something or creating something that reaches beyond ourselves for others (Smith & Liehr, 2014). One also finds meaning through loving or connecting with another person. Finally, a person can find meaning by choosing their attitude when facing the challenges of …show more content…
In a study by Taubman-Ben-Ari and Weintroub, meaning of life and personal growth among nurses and physicians facing varying levels of patient mortality were examined. Six separate instruments were used in the measurement of these. It was found that increased exposure to death significantly predicted the sense of the meaning of life, but the same correlation was not found in personal growth. The study found that when physicians and nurses were exposed to higher levels of patient death, they experienced higher meaning in life. One of the most relevant outcomes of the study, which I believe can be readily used in helping PICU nurses deal with the stress of the unit, were the findings as stated by Taubman-Ben-Ari and Weintroub (2008) that “a high level of professional self-esteem is an important factor in filtering out the threatening aspects of their work. Fostering this quality might therefore be the first step in assisting these people cope more successfully with their demanding and potentially stressful jobs” (p. 642). It is important that we, as nursing leaders in the PICU, provide opportunities for our nurses to participate in activities that will help promote personal growth and increase professional self-esteem, so that they may be better equipped to deal with the stresses in taking care of critical ill and dying children in the
Patricia L. Starck
“Man’s main concern is not to gain pleasure or to avoid pain but rather to see a meaning in his life” (Frankl, 1992). This powerful statement by Viktor Frankl is among the fundamental concepts upon which the theory of meaning was developed by Patricia L. Starck. Starck, (2014) describes her 20 year professional relationship with Viktor Frankl and her extensive involvement with Frankl’s logotherapy as being great influences on the development of the theory of meaning (Smith & Liehr, 2014).
Viktor Frankl Viktor Frankl was an Austrian Neurologist and Psychiatrist who was also interned at four different concentration camps during the Nazi occupation from 1942 until 1945 when he was liberated by the Americans. …show more content…
The first of these concepts is life purpose. This is the central concept to the theory and seeks to answer questions of “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?”. It provides a summary of reasons for one’s existence. It proposes that each person is unique and that they must discover their own meaning, it cannot be given to them or defined for them by another. It is also under this concept that Frankl speaks of self-transcendence, which is related closely to life purpose and encompasses doing something or creating something that reaches beyond ourselves for others (Smith & Liehr, 2014). One also finds meaning through loving or connecting with another person. Finally, a person can find meaning by choosing their attitude when facing the challenges of …show more content…
In a study by Taubman-Ben-Ari and Weintroub, meaning of life and personal growth among nurses and physicians facing varying levels of patient mortality were examined. Six separate instruments were used in the measurement of these. It was found that increased exposure to death significantly predicted the sense of the meaning of life, but the same correlation was not found in personal growth. The study found that when physicians and nurses were exposed to higher levels of patient death, they experienced higher meaning in life. One of the most relevant outcomes of the study, which I believe can be readily used in helping PICU nurses deal with the stress of the unit, were the findings as stated by Taubman-Ben-Ari and Weintroub (2008) that “a high level of professional self-esteem is an important factor in filtering out the threatening aspects of their work. Fostering this quality might therefore be the first step in assisting these people cope more successfully with their demanding and potentially stressful jobs” (p. 642). It is important that we, as nursing leaders in the PICU, provide opportunities for our nurses to participate in activities that will help promote personal growth and increase professional self-esteem, so that they may be better equipped to deal with the stresses in taking care of critical ill and dying children in the