It is with great delight that we are announcing the release of the 12th Edition of this book – one of almost two dozen books that are currently published on approaches to the development of nursology theories and philosophies. Lucinda Canty, PhD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN; Lucy Mkandawire-Valhmu, PhD, RN, FAAN joined me in co-authoring this edition, which retains the essential “patterns of knowing in nursing” content, but re-conceptualized from a decolonizing perspective.

Our process followed the path that Daniel Suárez-Baquero oultlined:

“Decolonial praxis in Nursology . . .  aims to center indigenous, marginalized, and non Western perspectives and practices in developing nursing knowledge. Some recommendations to create a real decolonial Nursology are

• recognize historical injustices
• incorporate indigenous, traditional, and knowledge outside the socio-political North,
• maintain cultural safety,
• engage in social justice perspectives,
• critically reflect on biases, assumptions, and privileges,
• unlearn and re-learn,
• revise curricula and nursology theory to include a broader range of perspectives, voices, and histories,
• prioritize research produced in collaboration with indigenous and marginalized communities and nursologists from the sociopolitical South.” https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102197

The three of us started this project together as good friends. When we started, we outlined a year-long series of tasks, making it possible to maintain our other professional and personal responsibilities, while assuring that we would deliver the completed manuscript to the publisher on time! Our process of decolonization started at the very moment that we developed our plan! My victorian protestant euro-centric roots put on the table an aggressive and over-zealous plan. Lucinda and Lucy tactfully but insistently pointed out that this would not work, described what would work, and assured me that we would get this done! I listened and trusted their process. We indeed, delivered as promised, and most important, we ended as even better friends, with deeper respect for the knowledge and wisdom that each of us contributed to this process.

We are delighted to be able to share this work with you, and hope that you will continue with us the process that this edition sets in motion. There is much more to be done and we will all learn, at an increasingly deeper level, what decolonization means.

Sources

Suárez-Baquero, D. F. M. (2024). Decolonizing nursing knowledge: Challenging Eurocentrism centering Global South voices. Nursing Outlook, 72(4), 102197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102197