Which Pattern of Knowing Do You Believe Is the Most Important to Your Current Practice of Nursing?

Which pattern of knowing do you believe is the most important to your current practice of

nursing? Defend your answer.

The patterns of knowing nursing denote the importance in meeting goals and developing effective outcomes in nursing practice. Among Carper's pattern of knowing, the most important focus in my job, which is in the Children Cancer Unit, is personal knowing. Carper describes personal knowing as being affected with the knowing, encountering and symbolizing of the individual self (Johns, 1995). Personal knowing needs a therapeutic use of self, which requires that the nurse be open and centered. Personal knowing can be achieved through the use of stories and the genuine use of self. It can be organized as reflexes and responses (Meleis, 2012).

In clinical practice, each patient, their illness and their situation is different and thereby we should approach them differently. In order to provide the best individualised care, a nurse must be aware of her own personal feelings and prejudices. From my understanding, personal knowing is what the meaning is 'therapeutic nurse patient relationships'. This knowledge helps to build a rapport with the patient and creates a trust as well as confidence in his nurse .The trust and confidence eventually leads the patient to be more comfortable, promote compliance and ease their anxiety and pain level. If the nurse is comfortable and has self-understanding, she will be able to identify what must be done to make the patient comfortable as well. By using personal pattern of knowing, a nurse always keeps an open mind and admits constant process of knowledge development. Personal knowing can be developed by means of self centered thinking about how one is by listening to responses from others and reflecting those thoughts and responses. Personal knowing requires the nurse to reflect on present and past practices and always think about what will make her a better in her profession which is considered as very important for best patient care.

2. Discuss the difference between the terms epistemological focus and ontological focus. Be sure to discuss the differences not just definitions.

Ontology and Epistemology are both branches of philosophy which try to describe the existence of an entity. They are terms regarding knowing and knowledge. Epistemology considers the history of knowledge that investigates the nature, kinds, origin, scope, methods and knowledge development limitations (Meleis, 2012). "Ontology is the branch of philosophy that deals with understanding being, existence, or reality. Thus, as applied to nursing and nursing science, ontology explores the nature of nursing and essential elements defining that nature" (Fulton , Lyon, & Goudreau, 2010, p. 31)Epistemology usually answers the question 'what' and Ontology answers the questions