Nursing Theory and Research

Running head: NURSING RESEARCH
Nursing Theory and Research
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NURSING RESEARCH
Introduction
The primary purpose of the paper is to reflect upon the "Way of knowing" theory, which
was introduced by Barbara Carper. The theory consists of four patterns that help the nurses to
improve nursing practices and patient care. The study also aims to evaluate a specific area of
nursing that is important for nursing research. It will describe the role played by nursing research
in the growth of applied medicine and examine the best approaches for conducting nursing
research. Nurses play an essential role in providing effective and personal care to the patients and
help them in the recovery process. Nursing research is crucial for the nurses in enhancing
patient's care.
Reflect on Barbara Carper's theory
"Way of knowing" is the theory of nursing introduced by Barbara carper. He has
identified four crucial patterns of knowing in nursing, which involves personal, empirical, ethical
and aesthetic knowing. The different patterns of nursing knowledge are contributed to the care of
the patient.
Personal knowing – It is the first pattern of knowing identified in theory, which refers to
the knowledge that a person has seen and experienced (De Oliveira, Garcia & Toledo, 2017).
The personal knowledge comes through the process of self-actualization, reflection and
observation. With the help of this knowledge, the nurses can set authentic as well as a therapeutic
relationship with the patients because it drives them towards integrity. Personal nursing
knowledge helps to improve patient satisfaction and patient prognosis. It provides nurses in
empathizing the family and patients in case of facing severe illnesses. The theory encourages the
nurses to address not only physical but also the emotional needs of the patients.
Ethical knowing – It is the other pattern of knowing in nursing that helps to develop
moral code. The ethical knowledge of nurses based on their obligation to protect the lives of
human. The code of ethics for nurses guide them to improve their moral sense. This pattern is
difficult to integrate into nursing as people have diverse values or expectations. The ethical
pattern helps the nurses to be sensitive to the moral values of the patients and family members

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NURSING RESEARCH
(Garrett & Cutting, 2015). It helps to improve the treatment of the patients and enable the family
members to make ethical decisions.
Empirical knowing – It is one of the scientific patterns of knowing in nursing that can be
achieved through facts and research. The empirical knowledge is employed by nurses by using
evidence based practices. It primarily focuses on scientific evidence and medical documents
which help the nurses to treat the patients carefully and properly. Nurses improve their nursing
practice by observation and practice in the hospitals and learn to insert IV fluids, medications
and identify vital signs of the disease. Empirical knowledge enhances the treatment of patients as
the nurses use evidence based methods to meet their needs (Bender & Elias, 2017).
Aesthetic knowing – It is the last pattern of knowing that makes nursing an art and
difficult to apply to the field of nursing. The principle of knowing theory deals with the ability of
nurses so that they perceive the requirements of the patients (Alba, 2018). Through aesthetic
knowledge, the nurses become empathetic to the tolerance level of the patient's pain when they
knew that the person would recover soon. The nurses create personalized plans to help the
individuals in the recovery process and thus, gain confidence among the individuals.
Nursing area
The health institutions contain an essential element in terms of delivering care services to
individuals is nursing. Nursing is used in the prevention of diseases and cumulative health
approaches. There are numerous specialty areas of nursing, but the psychiatric nursing area is of
interest to me. The nurse plays a significant role in the psychiatric area by helping persons with
mental illnesses (Hunter, Weber, Shattell & Harris, 2015). Psychiatric nurses work in hospitals
and give patient care. They ensure that the individuals take their medication on time, stay safe
from any injury and attend every counseling sessions. The nurses in this area work with groups,
families and individuals to assess the mental health requirements of the people.
This area is of interest to me because it highly accesses to mental health care, which has
become essential for the people. The specifics of nursing research include theory, practice and
research application related to all settings of populations. With the help of nursing research on
the psychiatric area, various facts, figures and data can be accomplished, which help the nurses