The Epistemological Perspective of Nursing
Definition of Epistemology
Epistemology is a philosophical approach to life experience that is based upon the acquisition of knowledge and the concept of “justified belief,” whereby knowledge is based upon a theoretical perspective (Nursing, 2011). The process of acquiring and understanding knowledge occurs throughout the life span and demonstrates a need to explore the different dimensions of nature and context of experiences in advancing knowledge-based ideas and principles to impact individual critical thinking skills (Nursing, 2011). This concept supports the ability to acquire different forms of knowledge to support and impact the human experience throughout the life span, and is applied to the fields of medicine and more specifically, nursing practice (Nursing, 2011). In addition, nurses must be able to formulate the knowledge that they have acquired and apply it to a variety of situations that will have a significant impact on the practice setting in a clinical capacity and will influence the nursing profession and its patient population at a high level (Nursing, 2011)The Epistemological Perspective of Nursing.
ORDER YOUR PAPER HERE
The process of acquiring knowledge is instrumental in identifying the approaches to nursing that will utilize this knowledge effectively and will influence how to best approach nursing with a capacity to formulate and apply knowledge effectively to a variety of different situations, including clinical, theoretical, and conceptual situations where nurses must develop their skillsets (Nursing, 2011). Therefore, as students and learners within the practice environment, it is of critical importance that nurses are able to contribute at a high level and to optimize their ability to be effective in meeting the needs of their patients with the knowledge that they have acquired throughout their professional careers that will improve outcomes for their patients in different ways and support a dynamic of successful nursing care and treatment at a high level (Nursing, 2011).
Relationship between Practice, Nursing’s Ontological Commitment and Epistemology
From a nursing perspective, the practice environment is the epitome of strength, courage, knowledge, and the demonstration of skills learned throughout nursing education and the profession as a whole. Therefore, it is important to demonstrate that there are significant opportunities for growth and an ability to support a dynamic where nurses continue to learn and to formulate new ideas and concepts that are associated with a knowledge-based perspective that will have lasting benefits for nurses and their patients. One of the most important areas of consideration in applying epistemology to nursing is reflective practice, which is defined in the following context: “Reflective practice posits attention to an epistemology of practice that attends to the knowledge professionals generate through reflection-in and reflection-on professional practice” (Kinsella, 2009)The Epistemological Perspective of Nursing.
The concept of “technical rationality” must be considered in this regard and demonstrate the importance of providing value in the context of nursing practice in order to be effective in supporting a dynamic whereby nurses are able to support the concepts of scientific theory and apply them to the practice setting effectively and consistently (Kinsella, 2009). Therefore, it is important to develop a strategy whereby patient care and treatment are optimized in the context of care and under which nurses are able to practice at a high level by adopting these experiences to make a difference in their own work environments to apply existing knowledge and to produce desirable outcomes for the patient population in this regard (Kinsella, 2009). Most importantly, it is evident that nurses must be able to be effective in meeting the needs of their patients effectively through the application of learned knowledge and key principles that have been acquired through training and education to support the needs of their patients on a consistent basis without delays and without limiting their ability to achieve a high level of success.
The context of reflective practice is also impactful in that it supports a greater understanding of the application of knowledge and key principles to impact patient care and treatment in a positive manner. This also reflects a need to evaluate the conditions under which there are opportunities for growth and change through the application of reflective practice in the treatment of patients, using the concepts learned in education and their application in real-world settings (Kinsella, 2009). At the same time, it is evident that the nursing profession continues to evolve and requires a high degree of knowledge and application that will have a lasting impact on the nursing profession as a whole and on the ability of nurses to apply artistry to their professional duties in that they must be able to balance these interests and apply them to the nursing practice setting at a high level (Kinsella, 2009)The Epistemological Perspective of Nursing.
It is also believed that “the practitioner does not abstain from action in order to sink into endless thought, but rather that continuity in practice entails a continual interweaving of thinking and doing” (Kinsella, 2009). Therefore, it is important to apply these principles to the practice setting and to provide nurses with a supportive environment in which they are able to succeed and to optimize their learning in the context of care and treatment at a high level to support the needs of their patients in the practice setting as best as possible (Kinsella, 2009). This reflects a greater need to acknowledge the demands of the nursing profession and the daily routine of nurses and to be mindful of the challenges that patients experience when receiving treatment, as nurses must be mindful of these concerns and how to accommodate patients effectively in supporting nursing-based knowledge and resources in a manner that is practical and appropriate for this purpose.
Nursing embodies a complex system of knowledge-based principles and areas of emphasis which are designed to improve upon existing knowledge and resources in a manner that is consistent with supporting a framework that is grounded in continuous improvement in its own right. This reflects a need to evaluate the conditions under which nurses are able to be effective in a practical setting but also demonstrate a level of knowledge and expanded complexity within their thought processes that will influence the practice setting at a high level (Paley, 2007)The Epistemological Perspective of Nursing. Within the nursing platform, there are essentially endless scenarios and forms of knowledge under which there are opportunities to achieve growth and development at a high level and to be effective in sharing knowledge and resources with other nurses throughout the profession (Paley, 2007). From this perspective, it is evident that nurses must be able to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of key principles and be able to apply them to a variety of situations effectively and consistently, thereby creating a dynamic in which nursing practice objectives will advance into different areas and an even higher level of complexity (Paley, 2007).
Nurses are active contributors to their surrounding environments and must demonstrate an advanced mastery of knowledge and resources in an effort to produce effective outcomes when treating their patients. This is best achieved through an expansion of resources which are applied to different situations in unique ways with the intent to produce effective outcomes and relationships among nurses throughout the profession. Nurses often possess significant knowledge of their own areas of interest and where they have been assigned to work; however, these concepts must also be applied across different disciplines in such a way that nurses embody different knowledge forms effectively and may be able to work in other areas or collaborate in this manner (Paley, 2007). This process requires an effective understanding of the applications of nursing practice that will have a significant impact on outcomes and which will demonstrate a high level of knowledge and ability to be proactive and flexible in applying this knowledge to different situations in a practical manner to address and solve new problems as they emerge (Paley, 2007). Therefore, exploring the specific characteristics of a given system is important for nurses from different disciplines because it demonstrates the value of exploring knowledge in different areas and in evaluating the context of this knowledge and how it may be applied across different disciplines in order to make a difference in the lives of the patients who require care and treatment (Paley, 2007)The Epistemological Perspective of Nursing.
Need for Distinctive Body of Knowledge
The concepts that are associated with nursing practice continue to evolve and to take shape in different forms, thereby creating a dynamic in which patient care outcomes are achieved through practical applications and the domains of knowledge that are acquired through continuing education and training. From this perspective, it may be argued that nurses must continue to evolve and to optimize their knowledge base through an individual lens and a practice-based perspective, whereby these two domains may converge and form a unique perspective regarding the application of nursing-based principles to support patient care. One of the unique considerations of nursing practice is how to move forward into the future and to determine what may occur in the profession going forward; therefore, it is necessary to consider the application of existing theories in this regard and apply them to the practice setting at a high level. For example, the Neuman Systems Model, established in 1988, is well-known throughout nursing practice and may be applied to a variety of settings in order to effectively demonstrate the ability to exercise sound and reasonable knowledge and resources to improve nursing practice and to be mindful of the challenges of the profession from a systems-based set of standards (Lowry, et al., 2007)The Epistemological Perspective of Nursing.
The application of the Neuman Systems Model is instrumental in shaping an environment where patient care is a critical priority and the recognition of human beings and their individual needs is essential in the promotion of high quality care that may be applied in different ways (Lowry, et al., 2007). For example, this model is holistic in nature and recognizes the ever-changing scope of the practice environment and what is required to meet the needs of the profession, while also addressing the holistic needs of the patient population at a high level in order to promote a well-rounded strategy that will facilitate positive outcomes for patients (Lowry, et al., 2007). This also reflects a need to explore the different dimensions of the model and the ability to overcome the challenges associated with holistic medicine in an era where traditional pharmacological therapies are valued at a high level.
One of the most important applications of the Neuman Systems Model is based upon the following concepts: “The NSM considers the client to be the center of the system into which health professionals enter for the purpose of assisting clients to attain, retain, and maintain system stability. It is inherent in the model that systems are complex, dynamic, and ever-changing” (Lowry, et al., 2007). Under these conditions, it is necessary for nurses to apply their knowledge in different ways and to demonstrate a level of flexibility in their efforts to produce high quality nursing care and treatment for all patients with an emphasis on improving outcomes and on the development of core competencies that may be applied to each patient in different ways so that their quality of life is improved or preserved as best as possible.
ORDER HERE
The process of knowledge application is ongoing and requires a strict learning curve for nurses so that they are able to apply these concepts effectively and consistently to support their patients. Furthermore, the flexible nature of this model must serve as a guide towards its future application to nursing practice as needs change, technology expands in scope and purpose, and the body of knowledge that nurses possess continues to evolve at an even higher level. This will demonstrate the importance of applying knowledge in different ways and in supporting the domains of nursing practice that will continue to evolve and grow as needs change, as new diseases emerge, and as technology evolves to an even higher level The Epistemological Perspective of Nursing