With the evolution of nursing knowledge and theory, relationships between ideas and actions often become blurred and difficult to articulate. In this ground-breaking volume, the contributors present some of the ways in which nursing scholars are confronting this problem by reflecting upon the nature of nursing knowledge and the application of theory in practice. The book is divided into three sections that address: the nature of knowledge in clinical practice; the application of theoretical knowledge; and the creation of new forms (...) and avenues of inquiry. (shrink)

Nursing practice invites nurses to embody caring practices that meet, comfort and empower vulnerable others. Such a practice requires a commitment to meeting and helping the other in ways that liberate and strengthen and avoid imposing the will of the caregiver on the patient. Being good and acting well (phronesis) occur in particular situations. A socially constituted and embodied view of agency, as developed by Merleau‐Ponty, provides an alternative to Cartesian and Kantian views of agency. A socially constituted, embodied view (...) of agency is less mechanistic and less deterministic than Descartes' and Kant's radical separation of mind and body, and more responsive and generative than Kant's vision of moral agency as constituted by autonomous choice makers who are uninfluenced by emotion. The role of emotion in perception and judgement is explored in this paper. Distinctions between techne and phronesis are drawn. The role of emotion in market relationships and procedural ethics drawn for the abstract, general other are strategies for exchange of goods and services, but these same market relationships are dependent on well‐functioning nonmarket relations of noncalculated giving and receiving. (shrink)

Neben einer historischen Übersicht über die Theorieentwicklung in der Pflege gibt Afaf Meleis eine Klassifikation der wichtigsten theoretischen Ansätze der Krankenpflege Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts. Darüber hinaus verweist sie auf Verbindungen zwischen pflegetheoretischen Ansätzen und allgemeinen Grundlagen der Theoriebildung. Ferner enthalten sind Abstracts einflussreicher theoretischer Publikationen aus den Jahren 1960 bis 1984.

Theory and Nursing offers a comprehensive yet concise exploration of nursing theory and its development, providing a solid foundation for an understanding of the nature of nursing. Emphasizing the intrinsic relationships between theory and the functional aspects of research and practice, this book prepares the student not only for the study of nursing science but for the work of nursing itself. The fourth edition includes an updated discussion of the emergence of nursing theory, reflecting recent developments in midrange nursing theory. (...) This book employs a questioning approach to the concepts of nursing theory, engaging the reader to critically examine the assumptions underlying those concepts as well as to construct a personal framework of nursing knowledge. The language of this edition has been clarified to make the concepts more accessible, and the new edition employs a shift in language from the terminology of the traditional scientific method to care-based language appropriate to the science of nursing. Each definition in the glossary of terms includes page references to the text, thus aiding the reader in developing a comfortable familiarity with the terminology. Extensively revised references and bibliography provide guidance for readers as they learn to formulate and test their own theories of nursing. Updated appendices overview both the historical perspective of the major nursing theories and the current trend toward practice-based theory.end t ë0. (shrink)

Featuring hundreds of entries, this authoritative, A-to-Z reference encompasses the full spectrum and history of Western philosophy, covering such topics as logic, metaphysics, ethics, and epistemology, as well as providing incisive profiles of the world's great philosophers, past and present, and their influence. Original.

"We are trying to apply the concepts of an outdated world view--the mechanistic world view of Cartesian-Newtonian science--to a reality that can no longer be understood in terms of these concepts.

Nursing as normative praxisThe purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it introduces a variety of concepts of ‘praxis’, and argues in support of those which reflect the normative dimension of the critical social perspective. This begins with the Aristotelian concept, and moves through a variety of sources, including Hannah Arendt and Paulo Freire, but focuses primarily, and uniquely in the nursing literature, upon the work of the Yugoslavian ‘praxis Marxists’. Second, specific ways of conceiving nursing as praxis are outlined, (...) including political, aesthetic and ethical forms which have immediate import for nurses. The paper concludes with brief suggestions as to how these ways of conceiving praxis may be used by nurses to develop a more intimate and productive understanding of their own practices. (shrink)

A multidisciplinary text for the health professions, with relevance across the various health disciplines. International scholars, researchers, and teachers contribute their ideas, research findings, and experiences to promote discussion on the nature and teaching of clinical reasoning. Models, guidelines, and strategies are presented. These aim to promote effective clinical reasoning in practice, creative and successful clinical reasoning learning programs, and directions for future research. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.

This book presents clear and understandable definitions of important philosophical terms. Emphasis is on the areas most commonly covered in introductory courses: epistemology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, and the philosophies of religion and politics.