Dialectical Pluralism for Nursing Knowledge Development

The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of dialectical pluralism (DP) for nursing knowledge development. Nursing scholars have discussed ways of developing nursing knowledge, exploring the fit and relevance of various worldviews for knowledge development and examining the dynamic and perpetual processes of knowledge development. Scholars have argued that knowledge development occurs under a certain worldview to which the researcher adheres. Many nurses employ various worldviews, which can give rise to ontological and epistemological conflicts. DP can help nurses appreciate the diversity of worldviews and recognize the importance of implicit worldviews to generate more practical nursing knowledge. DP as a philosophical approach can enable nurses to communicate between diverse worldviews, become tolerant of conflicting differences, and develop an array of nursing knowledge.

Can philosophy benefit nurses and/or nursing? Heidegger and Strauss, problems of knowledge and context

When researchers and scholars claim their work is based on a philosophical idea or a philosopher's corpus of ideas (and theory/theorist can be substituted for philosophy/philosopher), and when 'basing' signifies something significant rather than subsidiary or inconsequential, what level of understanding and expertise can readers reasonably expect authors to possess? In this paper, some of the uses to which philosophical ideas and named philosophers (Martin Heidegger and Leo Strauss) are put in exegesis is critiqued. Considering problematic instances of idea-name use may enable the question: 'Can philosophy benefit nurses and/or nursing?' to be better understood if not answered.

Is it true that all human beings have dignity?

The discussion around dignity in nursing philosophy has been underway for many years. The literature still lacks philosophical arguments that would justify the thesis that all people have dignity. Scholars who defend dignity as an intrinsic value most often refer to Kant. However, Kant does not seem to be the most suitable candidate to defend the thesis that all human beings possess dignity. In this paper, I attempt to show that Aristotle's and Aquinas's views can help justify this thesis. To this end, I distinguish between actual dignity, potential dignity, and existential dignity. I state that all human beings have existential dignity or potential dignity.

African philosophy and nursing: A potential twain that shall meet?

Undoubtedly, the discipline of nursing has been influenced extensively by both Western and Eastern/Asian philosophies. What remains unknown or, perhaps, poorly articulated is the potential influence of African philosophy on the onto-epistemology of nursing. As a starting point, this article sought to examine the core claims of African philosophy and how they may offer new meanings to the metaparadigm domains of interest in the discipline of nursing. At the core of African philosophy is the notion of personhood (which is distinguished from what it means to be a human being), community, solidarity, and relationality. A major claim of African philosophy is the notion that 'a person is a person through persons' which may mean that nursing will be relevant from the African philosophical perspective if it is able to attain this. Health and illness from the African philosophical perspective are defined relationally which shifts attention from the biomedical framework to holism and relational care. The sick 'person' is also distinguished from the sick 'human being' which has the potential of leading to exclusion from the African philosophical viewpoint. Put together, the African philosophical stance potentially extends the meaning of the metaparadigm domains of interest to the discipline of nursing which warrants further exploration.

The place of philosophy in nursing

Philosophy adds humanness to nursing and facilitates holistic care. Philosophies like Ubuntu which purports that a person is only a person through other people and emphasises community cohesion and caring for each other can add humanness to nursing. Because Ubuntu validates subjective experience and its meaning in the lifeworld, it exemplifies the basis of holistic and individualised caring in nursing. Although nurses can make their own philosophy through critical reflexivity, the convergent point is the goal of meaningful caring that is, sustaining health and the well-being of patients and significant others. Philosophy transcends job description, it encompasses visceral experience, personal beliefs and goals, resulting in purpose and deeper meaning to the nursing profession of caring as emulated by Florence Nightingale. While contemporary philosophy has been met with criticism as being detached from human concern, narrowly focussed and technical, it evokes critical thinking and promotes sociality in nursing practice. The Covid-19 pandemic vividly brought philosophy to the fore as nurses sacrificially and vulnerably rose to the challenge of caring not only for the sick, but also for families who through infection control measures were deprived of sociality. This paper argues that philosophy adds humanness and substance to nursing in the context of COVID-19.

Creating theory: Encouragement for using creativity and deduction in qualitative nursing research

Texts about theory in nursing often refer to theory construction by using inductive methods in a rigid way. In this paper, it is instead argued that theories are created, which is in line with most philosophers of science. Theory creation is regarded as a creative process that does not follow a specific method or logic. As in any creative endeavour, the inspiration for theory creation can come from many sources, including previous research and existing theory. The main idea put forward is that deductive qualitative research approaches should play a key role in theory creation. Furthermore, there is a need to differentiate between theory creation and theory justification. A model that emphasizes the creative aspects of theory creation and theory justification using qualitative approaches is presented. The model suggests that knowledge development is a deductive trial-and-error process where theory creation is followed by testing. Scientific theory creation and justification are presented as an iterative process that is deductive in that a testable hypothesis is derived from the theory. If the hypothesis is falsified, then the theory needs modification or might be altogether wrong. Several factors can block the creative process, both in theory development and in finding ways to test a theory in the justification phase. Some of these blockers are the idea of 'building blocks' and the inductive view of science often brought forward in nursing. Other blockers include striving for consensus and adherence to existing nursing philosophies and existing theories. Research and knowledge development are creative processes, and following predefined methods is not enough to ensure scientific rigour in qualitative nursing research.

The Uniqueness of Nursing in the Emerging Trend of Interdisciplinary Endeavors

The author provides an introduction of the review of J. B. Butts and K. L. Rich's 4th edition of Philosophies and Theories for Advanced Nursing Practice (2022), pondering about preserving the uniqueness of nursing discipline and practice in the trend of interdisciplinary endeavors.

The use of Husserl's phenomenology in nursing research: A discussion paper

AIMS

To discuss how Husserl's descriptive phenomenology, as a philosophy and approach, has been used and reported in researching the experiences of others, using the topic of foreign-trained nurses.

DESIGN

Discussion paper.

DATA SOURCES

A systematic search of MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, SCOPUS, British Nursing Database and PsycInfo was carried out in December 2021. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed phenomenological research articles, grounded by Husserl's philosophy, conducted among foreign-trained nurses and published in English from 2000 to 2021.

FINDINGS

Two main themes were the outcome of critically reviewing relevant selected literature, 'referring to the original philosophy is not enough' and 'phenomenological findings need to be phenomenological'. These findings confirm some arguments about nurse researchers' discrepant use of phenomenology in their studies, including the proper application of phenomenological notions on the ground.

IMPLICATION FOR NURSING

Nurse researchers need to clearly distinguish between phenomenology and other qualitative research approaches and consider the uniqueness of philosophical underpinnings that are essential in Husserl's phenomenology, which also need to be clearly applied and reflected in their studies.

CONCLUSION

There are continually existing discrepancies and variations in using phenomenology by nurse researchers. These variations were uniquely evident when nurse researchers could not provide enough philosophical grounds and assumptions to their studies and underestimated the need to keep up with the various applications of Husserl's phenomenological notions, including the proper practice of phenomenological attitude. Therefore, it is recommended that nurse researchers should opt for different, less complex qualitative approaches if they do not adequately prepare and understand what constitutes phenomenology and the particulars of Husserl's philosophy.

IMPACT

What problem did the study address? Phenomenology remains popular in nursing. However, it can confuse nurse researchers and may result in an improper understanding of its core concepts. The use of phenomenology in nursing has been criticized over the years with nurse researchers being accused of conducting phenomenological research inconsistent with the original philosophy. What were the main findings? Using phenomenology by nurse researchers is various and includes some discrepancies. This variation is caused by not complying with essential philosophical grounds and underestimating proper applications of Husserl's phenomenological notions. Where and on whom will the research have impact? Outcomes of this paper illustrate examples of proper and improper uses of Husserl's phenomenology in nursing research, including critical considerations, which can guide nurse researchers aiming to conduct descriptive phenomenological research. Additionally, nurse lecturers can utilize this paper to show and emphasize the importance of philosophical grounds in phenomenology.

NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Due to the nature of this discussion paper addressing philosophical and methodological aspects using examples from the literature, no direct patient or public contribution was required.

Building Disciplinary Knowledge in Nursing Education

The author of this article provides an introduction to Chinn and colleagues' 11th edition of Knowledge Development in Nursing: Theory and Process, contemplating the significance of building disciplinary knowledge based on nursing theory and philosophy in nursing education.

Evolution of Forensic Nursing Theory--Introduction of the Constructed Theory of Forensic Nursing Care: A Middle-Range Theory

The constructed theory of forensic nursing care is a middle-range nursing theory developed from the integrated practice model for forensic nursing science, a conceptual framework. Theory evolution was achieved following a critique of the conceptual framework and through inductive and deductive reasoning. A review of nursing theory growth and significance of middle-range theories is presented as background information in understanding the importance of this emerging forensic nursing middle-range theory. The philosophical and theoretical foundations of forensic nursing are bolstered with the addition of three nursing theories, two healthcare models and one social theory. Links are made between theory components and the current state of forensic nursing. Assumptions and concepts are clearly defined. The middle-range theory provides three testable propositions to frame forensic nursing practice, education, and research. Research conducted on the propositions will expand the forensic nursing scientific base leading to enhanced evidence-based practice. A pictorial model illustrates the propositions as relational statements. The constructed theory of forensic nursing care affirms the focus of forensic nursing care is on the nurse-patient relationship and improved health outcomes. Additional results of forensic nursing care are improved forensic science and criminal justice system outcomes.

Using exploratory factor analysis to define levels of ontology in critical realism

BACKGROUND

Critical realism is often used in mixed-methods research. There are three domains of ontology in critical realism: the empirical, the actual and the real. Exploratory factor analysis is a statistical method used to identify patterns in datasets.

AIM

To demonstrate how exploratory factor analysis can assist in defining the domains of ontology in critical realism.

DISCUSSION

The different elements of exploratory factor analysis enable researchers to define each domain of ontology in critical realism. The data related to the different factors in the exploratory factor analysis equate to the domain of the empirical. The bonds that link these factors in the empirical are their theoretical link to the real. The strength of these links is determined by the exploratory factor analysis and are the pathways in the actual linking the real to the empirical.

CONCLUSION

Combining all these elements enables researchers to define a theory, as seen by the experiences and influences on that theory.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Exploring people's experiences and then combining them into a theory using critical realism and exploratory factor analysis enables researchers to determine the strength of the relationship between the theory and the experiences.

Evaluating Changes in Caring Behaviors of Caritas Coaches Pre and Post the Caritas Coach Education Program

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine program effectiveness in changing Caritas leadership, self-caring behaviors, and perceptions of coworkers of participants who completed the Caritas Coach Education Program (CCEP).

BACKGROUND

The CCEP has been a highly successful education program for individuals who wish to intellectually and experientially learn to teach, live, and practice human caring theory.

METHODS

A pretest-posttest descriptive design was used to evaluate changes in perceptions of self-caring, caritas leadership, and coworker behaviors after completion of CCEP.

RESULTS

The mean scores of all measures improved significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

After completion of CCEP, participants demonstrated statistically significant changes in 3 caritas measures: leadership, coworker, and self-rating. Caritas Coach participants exhibited the greatest change in their self-caring scores.

Research capacity in nursing: a concept analysis based on a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

As the discipline of nursing has advanced, research capacity in nursing has become increasingly important to the discipline's development. However, research capacity in nursing is still commonly used as a buzzword, without a consistent and clear definition. The purpose of this study is to clarify the concept of research capacity in nursing by identifying its conceptual components in the relevant nursing literature using the Pragmatic Utility method.

DESIGN

A Pragmatic Utility concept analysis based on a scoping review.

DATA SOURCES

Academic literature retrieved from PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT).

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Qualitative studies, quantitative studies, mixed method studies or literature reviews focusing on research capacity in nursing published in English between 2009 and 2019.

RESULTS

Competence, motivation, infrastructure and collaboration for nursing research are the antecedents of research capacity in nursing. The attributes of research capacity in nursing are 'non-individual level', 'context-embeddedness' and 'sustainability'. The direct outcome of research capacity in nursing is nursing research. The allied concepts identified are nursing research competency, nursing research capability and evidence-based practice capacity in nursing.

CONCLUSIONS

Research capacity in nursing is the ability to conduct nursing research activities in a sustainable manner in a specific context, and it is normally used at a non-individual level. Research capacity in nursing is critical for the development of the nursing discipline, and for positive nurse, patient and healthcare system outcomes. More studies are needed to further explore the allied concepts of research capacity in nursing, and to better understand relationships among these allied concepts.

Research paradigms and the politics of nursing knowledge: A reflective discussion

A standard view would suggest that research is a neutral apolitical activity. It neutralizes external pressures by its fidelity to robust scientific methods. However, politics is an inevitable part of human knowledge. Our knowledge of the world is always mediated by human priorities. What matters is therefore a contested and political debate rather a neutral accumulation of factual data. How researchers manage this varies. Research paradigms are one way in which research engages with knowledge. They frame knowledge within epistemological and ontological philosophies. In this paper, I will explore this view in relation to neo-positivism, qualitative research, Foucault and critical realism. I will argue that if nursing knowledge is to be effective it needs to acknowledge the political, particularly in the context of neoliberalism. Healthcare systems are having to cope with a social world increasingly dominated by market fundamentalism, extreme levels of inequality and a rise in xenophobia. These forces are undermining the provision of ethically sound health care, misdirecting research practice and contributing to a discourse of dehumanization. These forces need to be challenged politically and I will argue that epistemologically diverse approaches, alongside a realist ontology can provide a way forward for nursing research.

Philosophy and quality? TAPUPASM as an approach to rigour in critical realist research

BACKGROUND

Philosophical principles should guide how research is designed, conducted and appraised. The more traditional and commonly used approaches to positivist (validity and generalisability) or interpretivist (trustworthiness) research do not necessarily complement the philosophical principles of post-positivist critical realism.

AIMS

To discuss an approach to ensuring scientific rigour in post-positivist critical realist research using an enhanced version of the quality assurance model, TAPUPAS, that has an additional criterion: modified objectivity.

DISCUSSION

The authors present examples of the quality framework TAPUPASM in the planning, design, conduct and dissemination of a realist research study. These strategies include choices about the collection and analysis of data, as well as how to disseminate findings using methods other than traditional academic approaches. They also provide a practical example of how they used TAPUPASM to ensure rigour in a critical realist ethnographic study in pre-registration nurse education.

CONCLUSION

TAPUPASM provides a framework for quality in post-positivist critical realist research.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Nurse researchers can use the strategies provided to plan, design, conduct and disseminate critical realist research.

Theoretical Coalescence: A Method to Develop Qualitative Theory: The Example of Enduring

BACKGROUND

Qualitative research is frequently context bound, lacks generalizability, and is limited in scope.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this article was to describe a method, theoretical coalescence, that provides a strategy for analyzing complex, high-level concepts and for developing generalizable theory. Theoretical coalescence is a method of theoretical expansion, inductive inquiry, of theory development, that uses data (rather than themes, categories, and published extracts of data) as the primary source for analysis. Here, using the development of the lay concept of enduring as an example, I explore the scientific development of the concept in multiple settings over many projects and link it within the Praxis Theory of Suffering.

METHODS

As comprehension emerges when conducting theoretical coalescence, it is essential that raw data from various different situations be available for reinterpretation/reanalysis and comparison to identify the essential features of the concept. The concept is then reconstructed, with additional inquiry that builds description, and evidence is conducted and conceptualized to create a more expansive concept and theory.

RESULTS

By utilizing apparently diverse data sets from different contexts that are linked by certain characteristics, the essential features of the concept emerge. Such inquiry is divergent and less bound by context yet purposeful, logical, and with significant pragmatic implications for practice in nursing and beyond our discipline.

CONCLUSION

Theoretical coalescence is a means by which qualitative inquiry is broadened to make an impact, to accommodate new theoretical shifts and concepts, and to make qualitative research applied and accessible in new ways.

Integrating Political Philosophy Into Health Policy Education

Twenty-first century America is marked by deep and seemingly incommensurable divisions in terms of public policy solutions to our most intractable issues. Health policy challenges are not immune to these deep divisions, as the debate during and since the passage of the Affordable Care Act illustrates. Positions on key public policy issues are driven by largely implicit and unarticulated philosophical presuppositions that guide individuals' notions of the nature of government, individuals' moral obligations to each other, how society assesses quality of life, and what it means to be a community. If faculty in schools of nursing are to prepare graduate nurses to enter into these heated public policy debates, we must help students understand, identify, and articulate the philosophical presuppositions that undergird reasoning related to health policy issues. In this article, we present a working taxonomy that can help faculty members provide students with a basic understanding of core philosophical principles. We attempt to categorize all of western political philosophy into four distinct traditions or "impulses," describing each of these four traditions in detail. We illustrate each tradition's approach to political reasoning using a specific health policy case study. We conclude with some guidance about how to implement this content within a doctoral-level public policy curriculum.

Movement perceived as chores or a source of joy: a phenomenological-hermeneutic study of physical activity and health

Physical activity has become the most documented and acknowledged health advice in relation to both staying healthy and regaining health both physically and mentally. Thus, physical activity in relation to spinal cord injury, low back pain and heart disease is respectively means to regain bodily function, avoid or reduce pain and early death. A second analysis of three studies with a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach building on Ricoeur's philosophy on how people understand themselves and their world through narrative configurations revealed that physical activity had different meanings to people. This revealed that the meanings of physical activity could range from movements being unpleasant, maybe even painful to movements being a source of joy. This caused participants (1) to engage in movement as a source of joy, (2) to overcome the bodily struggle to do their chores, and maybe feel better as a result or (3) to minimize bodily functions equivalent to a functional daily life. Illustrated by 10 different approaches this provides knowledge about driving forces for health professional support. As joy and passion are the strongest driving forces to physical activity, this highlights the importance of supporting people to find a kind of physical activity that they like.

[Organisation of work at patients' bedsides, a philosopher's perspective]

Establishing rules regarding the organisation of work with patients means taking into account ethical and moral questions. This joint approach requires the free and engaged cooperation of all those involved. The improvement of the quality of care, far from any standardisation or rationalisation, means keeping a place as a subject for the patient as well as the professional. The work rules and procedures can then find their meaning in the provision of care to a patient.

Introduction to positivism, interpretivism and critical theory

BACKGROUND

There are three commonly known philosophical research paradigms used to guide research methods and analysis: positivism, interpretivism and critical theory. Being able to justify the decision to adopt or reject a philosophy should be part of the basis of research. It is therefore important to understand these paradigms, their origins and principles, and to decide which is appropriate for a study and inform its design, methodology and analysis.

AIM

To help those new to research philosophy by explaining positivism, interpretivism and critical theory.

DISCUSSION

Positivism resulted from foundationalism and empiricism; positivists value objectivity and proving or disproving hypotheses. Interpretivism is in direct opposition to positivism; it originated from principles developed by Kant and values subjectivity. Critical theory originated in the Frankfurt School and considers the wider oppressive nature of politics or societal influences, and often includes feminist research.

CONCLUSION

This paper introduces the historical context of three well-referenced research philosophies and explains the common principles and values of each.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The paper enables nurse researchers to make informed and rational decisions when embarking on research.

Opening Doors of Perception Creativity, Learning and Developing Practice

The notion of ‘intelligence and humane choice’ is addressed in this article. The only way nursing can be influential in the world of healthcare is questioned by looking at a commitment to learning, development and research. The article aims to challenge issues about nurse education and explore ways in which the nursing profession can move debates about the values underpinning the preparation of undergraduate nurses.

A research-based mantra for compassionate caring

BACKGROUND

The United Kingdom introduced the Six C's strategy to help address deficits in approaching nursing care in a compassionate and caring manner.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the book, article, poem, film or play that most influenced nurse educators' understanding of care and compassion and to articulate a clearer understanding of compassionate caring.

DESIGN

A qualitative study applying discourse analysis to respondents' questionnaires and their nominated narrative.

SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS

41 nurse educators working in 5 universities in the UK (n=3), Republic of Ireland and Canada participated. 39 items (10 books, 2 journal articles, 10 poems, 15 films and 2 plays) were nominated.

FINDINGS

The desire to understand others and how to care compassionately characterised choices. Three main themes emerged. Abandonment of, and failure to see, the suffering person was evident in 25 narratives. Connecting with others was shown in 25 narratives as being able to truly seeing the other person. Comforting others was supported by 37 narratives with examples of kindness and compassion.

CONCLUSION

Published narratives are valuable in developing compassionate responses. An annotated list is provided with suggestions for educational uses to help develop compassionate caring in student nurses. Compassionate, caring nurses recognise that patients need them to: "See who I am; Be present with me; Do not abandon me."

Philosophical and theoretical content of the nursing discipline in academic education: A critical interpretive synthesis

BACKGROUND

Nursing as clinical practice, management and research are based on nursing philosophy and theory. Thus, the philosophical and theoretical content is required to be incorporated in academic education in order to enable nurses' skills for reflection, analysis, and thinking about the profession.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this review was to describe what is known of the philosophical and theoretical content of the nursing discipline within academic education.

DESIGN

A critical interpretive synthesis (CIS).

METHODS

Electronic searches were performed across four databases, CINAHL, Scopus, Medline, and Web of Science, for papers published in English from 1980 to 2016. The selection of original articles was based on stages, and inclusion and exclusion criteria were used. Quality of the selected papers were evaluated by method sensitive appraisal criteria. The five phases of CIS were used to combine the selected data.

RESULTS

The searches resulted 9148 titles, whereas 13 were selected. Nurses need philosophical and theoretical education in order to be aware of human health and explain the complexity of the human experience of illness. The philosophy of science, the philosophy of care, and theory development were highlighted as the key contents in nursing academic education as these subjects are central to the discipline that ensures that nurses acquire advanced skills. A model was developed that linked disciplinary issues the progression nursing science through the influence of advanced skills.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the findings in this study the philosophical and theoretical content of nursing discipline crates a basis for the academic education and enables a professional and exclusive vision for nurses. It provides an overall understanding of people's lives and support nurses to achieve deeper awareness of the meaning of illness and health in a person lifespan what is needed on the evidence-based decision making.

Strengths-Based Nursing: A Process for Implementing a Philosophy Into Practice

Strengths-Based Nursing (SBN) is both a philosophy and value-driven approach that can guide clinicians, educators, manager/leaders, and researchers. SBN is rooted in principles of person/family centered care, empowerment, relational care, and innate health and healing. SBN is family nursing yet not all family nursing models are strengths-based. The challenge is how to translate a philosophy to change practice. In this article, we describe a process of implementation that has organically evolved of a multi-layered and multi-pronged approach that involves patients and families, clinicians, educators, leaders, managers, and researchers as well as key stakeholders including union leaders, opinion leaders, and policy makers from both nursing and other disciplines. There are two phases to the implementation process, namely, Phase 1: pre-commitment/pre-adoption and Phase 2: adoption. Each phase consists of distinct steps with accompanying strategies. These phases occur both sequentially and concurrently. Facilitating factors that enable the implementation process include values which align, readiness to accept SBN, curiosity-courage-commitment on the part of early adopters, a critical mass of early adopters, and making SBN approach both relevant and context specific.

New standards and framework will map out the future of nursing

Duncan Hamilton, Second Year Student, Adult Nursing, University of Surrey, shares what he thinks is missing from the Nursing and Midwifery Council's draft Standards of Proficiency and Education Framework.

Integrating Spiritual Bereavement Skills Into an Advanced Practice Curriculum

BACKGROUND

When advanced practice nurses (APNs) encounter the need to address a bereaved individual's spirituality, gaps in educational preparation may prevent effective intervention. In addition, past and current research studies have not provided clear guidance for spiritually based bereavement care curricula within the graduate APN program.

METHOD

Graduate advanced practice faculty successfully introduced classroom-based spiritual bereavement care education modules for APN students.

RESULTS

Course evaluations indicated student appreciation for the new content and practicum experiences provided. Students felt the new content to be essential in their development as expert practitioners.

CONCLUSION

Through this innovation, the authors found that a variety of learning activities that addressed spiritual needs during the bereavement process was perceived as highly satisfactory by APNs. Within an ever increasingly diverse society, APNs have a significant role in performing responsibilities for bereaved individuals. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(7):439-442.].

Crafting Stories in Hermeneutic Phenomenology Research: A Methodological Device

Hermeneutic phenomenology, as a methodology, is not fixed. Inherent in its enactment are contested areas of practice such as how interview data are used and reported. Using philosophical notions drawn from hermeneutic phenomenological literature, we argue that working with crafted stories is congruent with the philosophical underpinnings of this methodology. We consider how the practical ontic undertaking of story crafting from verbatim transcripts is integral with the interpretive process. We show how verbatim transcripts can be crafted into stories through examples taken from interview data. Our aim is to open dialogue with other hermeneutic phenomenological researchers and offer alternate possibilities to conventional ways of work with qualitative data. We argue that crafted stories can provide glimpses of phenomena that other forms of data analysis and presentation may leave hidden. We contend that crafted stories are an acceptable and trustworthy methodological device.

Phenomenology in Its Original Sense

In this article, I try to think through the question, "What distinguishes phenomenology in its original sense?" My intent is to focus on the project and methodology of phenomenology in a manner that is not overly technical and that may help others to further elaborate on or question the singular features that make phenomenology into a unique qualitative form of inquiry. I pay special attention to the notion of "lived" in the phenomenological term "lived experience" to demonstrate its critical role and significance for understanding phenomenological reflection, meaning, analysis, and insights. I also attend to the kind of experiential material that is needed to focus on a genuine phenomenological question that should guide any specific research project. Heidegger, van den Berg, and Marion provide some poignant exemplars of the use of narrative "examples" in phenomenological explorations of the phenomena of "boredom," "conversation," and "the meaningful look in eye-contact." Only what is given or what gives itself in lived experience (or conscious awareness) are proper phenomenological "data" or "givens," but these givens are not to be confused with data material that can be coded, sorted, abstracted, and accordingly analyzed in some "systematic" manner. The latter approach to experiential research may be appropriate and worthwhile for various types of qualitative inquiry but not for phenomenology in its original sense. Finally, I use the mythical figure of Kairos to show that the famous phenomenological couplet of the epoché-reduction aims for phenomenological insights that require experiential analysis and attentive (but serendipitous) methodical inquiry practices.

Supervising for Robust Hermeneutic Phenomenology: Reflexive Engagement Within Horizons of Understanding

Undertaking philosophically hermeneutic research requires embodying the fundamental hermeneutic notions espoused by Heidegger, Gadamer, and other related philosophers. For both supervisors and students, there is "a way" of working that infuses a hermeneutic project with a particular kind of contemplative openness. In this article, I will draw from my own experience of coming to appreciate the nature of this approach. Reading Gadamer challenged me to see that, before interpreting the meanings inherent in research data, I first needed to grapple with the fact that I brought ready-made prejudices to the interpretation. Further, and perhaps more importantly, was the recognition that while prejudices may have a negative influence, they could also bring a positive view. Just as I needed to understand key Gadamerian notions to shed light on the interpretive nature of philosophical hermeneutics, I will unpack these to underpin the ongoing discussion of hermeneutic research strategies. In articulating "how" to be hermeneutic, I explain how I guide students embarking on hermeneutic research. Discussion centres on surfacing and engaging with preunderstandings through 'presuppositions interviewing', journalling and the careful selection of words that refine and crystallise meanings in ways that reflectively and reflexively engage and expand horizons of understanding. In this article, I use examples from my own experience as a doctoral student and supervisor of doctoral students to assist other supervisors and students understand both the importance of "being hermeneutic" and ways of achieving robust and philosophically congruent hermeneutic research.

[The body in nursing discipline: an essential to link the four concepts of the metaparadigm]

How can we teach and practice nursing, develop knowledge and reflect on the founding principles of nursing discipline without explicitly considering the essential place of the body ? After addressing the nursing science disciplinary metaparadigm and its four central concepts, we suggest this theoretical proposal be expanded to include the body as a fifth concept, demonstrating its appropriateness in linking the other concepts, namely the person, health, environment and nursing. In this perspective, different readings of the body are thus proposed. In the variate configurations displayed, they appear as ways leading to specific microparadigms and from which it becomes possible to identify the nature of nursing and caring, as well as the types of knowledge that are useful to be taught within the nursing curriculum.

The Lived Experiences of Nurses Caring For Dying Pediatric Patients

Nurses and healthcare professionals may have difficulty adjusting to and comprehending their experiences when a patient’s life ends. This has the potential to interfere with patient care. Reflection on past events and actions enables critical discovery of strategies to benefit both nurses and patients. This qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of nurses caring for dying pediatric patients. The philosophical underpinning of Merleau-Ponty (2008), in combination with the research method of van Manen (1990), was used for this study. The Roy Adaptation Model (RAM) (Roy, 2009; Roy & Andrews, 1991) was the nursing model that guided the study to help understand that nurses are an adaptive system, using censoring as a compensatory adaptive process to help function for a purposeful cause. Nine female nurse participants with one to four years of experience were interviewed. The context of the experiences told by nurses caring for dying pediatric patents uncovered seven essential themes of empathy, feelings of ambivalence, inevitability, inspiration, relationship, self-preservation, and sorrow, and these themes demonstrated a connection formed between the nurse and the patient.

Global Voyeurism or Sustainable Ethical Practice?

This is a conceptual article exploring global voyeurism and service, overlaying ethical considerations in service within the profession of forensic nursing. Key elements considered include examining and reflecting on personal motivations, benefits, and consequences of service when viewed through an ethical perspective. Through this article we seek to examine the relationships between poverty tourism and service, while better supporting individual forensic nurses in their quest to align their actions with the ethical and practice comportment standards within the profession of nursing service globally. We include definition of terms, including professional identity, ethics and social justice, poverty tourism and voyeurism, global and professional service, cultural humility, partnerships, and trusting relationships. We conclude with implications, and considerations for forensic nursing.