Barbara Carper’s influence on nursing practice is significant. As all theorists do, she has a perspective through which she views nursing care and practice. Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:
Describe Carper’s 4 ways of knowing.
Explain how they are applied in nursing practice.
Cite a practice scenario in which you could or do apply the theory to patient care
then respond to the following posts:
post 1:
In the 1970’s Barbara Carper introduced the four patterns of knowing which offer a comprehensive framework that underscores the many sides of nursing practice.
In my nursing practice, these four ways of knowing guide me on a daily bases. I have a hospice patient that is in severe pain and is alert and oriented and refuses high doses of narcotics because of the side effects and the family at bedside requesting and demanding me to administer pain medication. I use empirics to respect my patient wishes. My Jehovah witness patient that refuses blood transfusion according to my Nurse code of Ethics I must respect my patients’ beliefs and religious practices. Personal knowing -is the ability to know my weakness and strength. I am great at assessing wound and staging it but not great at applying the wound vac to wound. Aesthetics is describing the art in nursing and I must say when I just graduated from nursing school, I could not start an IV, today I am the nurse my co-worker call on when they are unable to start an IV,I have developed that skilled over the years.
Embracing these patterns of knowing enables health professionals to uphold the highest standards of professional practice while promoting healing, empathy, and compassion in their interactions with patients.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Carper BA. Fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing
post 2:
rbara Carper proposed four fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing: empirical, ethical, personal, and aesthetic. Empirical knowing involves the scientific understanding gained through observation, experience, and evidence-based practice. Ethical knowing relates to understanding moral principles and values and making decisions based on ethical considerations. Personal knowing refers to the nurse’s self-awareness, intuition, and understanding of the patient as a unique individual. Aesthetic knowing involves appreciating the artistry and subjective elements of nursing care, such as the nurse-patient relationship and the beauty of nursing interventions.
Barbara Carper’s four ways of knowing provide a framework for nurses to understand and approach their practice. With Empirical knowing, a nurse can use tools they have learned through research and apply the scientific knowledge with evidence-based practices to assess, diagnose, and treat patients.
Ethical Knowing, nurses navigate ethical dilemmas by considering moral principles and values in their decision-making process. This involves respecting patient autonomy and advocating for patient’s rights. In personal knowing, nurses must recognize one’s biases, emotions, and experiences, and integrate them into patient care to better understand and meet the individual needs of each patient. Aesthetic knowing also involves recognizing the importance of holistic care, creativity in problem-solving, and the significance of the nurse-patient relationship in promoting healing.
A common scenario where all 4 “knowings” are used is if a patient is noncompliant with their home medications. A nurse could use the empirical data they have collected to educate the patient on the importance of medication compliance. One could give all risks involved and strategies to regain compliance. ethically one can also consider the wants and needs of the patient and respect their decision-making autonomy. One can also refrain from taking the patient’s issues personal. And deliver facts and use logic to provide the best care for the patient as an individual.
