"The Hudsonian Godwit makes a trip from breeding grounds in arctic Alaska almost to the southernmost tip of South America—just under 10,000 miles!" - Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology When I was a child we called one another “birdbrain” when we had done something stupid or counterproductive. It was a harsh insult. But in more recent years a significant … Continue reading Bird Brains, Edge Group Effect, and Nursing Knowledge Drift
Burning Questions
The Ocean We Navigate: A Metaphor for Professional Development in Nursing
Guest Contributor: Leah KorkisDirector of Clinical Education and Nursing Excellence, University of Southern California I grew up kayaking with my Dad off the shores of Kailua, Oahu. I remember with each stroke of my paddle the shifting winds blowing through my hair, the rhythmic lapping of waves, and the mysterious expanse stretching beneath and beyond. … Continue reading The Ocean We Navigate: A Metaphor for Professional Development in Nursing
Will AI Serve as a Pattern of Knowing in Nursing?
Contributor: Victoria Soltis-Jarrett Will nurses consider Artificial Intelligence (AI) a pattern of ‘knowing’ in nursing in the future? I recently completed a course that required me to ensure that an online asynchronous graduate nursing course I will design meets the rigorous standards. I chose the asynchronous format of the course despite the availability of a … Continue reading Will AI Serve as a Pattern of Knowing in Nursing?
The Philosophy of Knowledge in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Are We Teaching, or Is AI Taking Over?
Guest Contributor: Cora RabePhD student in nursing, Texas Woman's University Introduction For centuries, philosophers have wrestled with life’s biggest questions: What is knowledge? How do we learn? Why do students suddenly "remember" an assignment is due five minutes before class? Okay, maybe that last one wasn’t on Plato’s mind, but if he were around today, … Continue reading The Philosophy of Knowledge in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Are We Teaching, or Is AI Taking Over?
The Value of Integrating Nursing Theories in an Era of Legislative Censorship
Contributor: Robin R. Walter The problem of legislative censorship in academia is an ongoing issue of national scope. Since January 2021, 44 states have introduced bills, passed legislation, or taken other steps locally that would restrict teaching critical theory or limit how (or if) faculty can discuss Black history, racism, sexism, privilege, oppression, and issues … Continue reading The Value of Integrating Nursing Theories in an Era of Legislative Censorship
Elevating Patient- Centered Care: Embracing Spiritual and Religious Diversity
Contributor: Faith Tissot, RN, MSN-Ed, CCRNDoctoral Student at Texas Women's University Spirituality, which can include religion and prayer, is a customary theme in nursing, healthcare research, and among healthcare professionals globally. Spirituality and religiousness are an adjunct for an individual to draw meaning from life events, a conduit for connectedness to an individual’s definition of … Continue reading Elevating Patient- Centered Care: Embracing Spiritual and Religious Diversity
What’s the Glo Germ™ of Climate Change?
Contributor: Lesley Hodge I recently met with Dr. Sherilee Harper, an expert in climate change, who graciously agreed to meet with me after I asked for her input about a project I was working on. I came prepared with a detailed list of questions, but felt compelled to ask something not on my agenda: What … Continue reading What’s the Glo Germ™ of Climate Change?
When Will We Give Space to Silent Voices?
Contributor: Crystal Garvey VNTW 2024 was a well-organized, thought-out conference. It is an event where nursing theorists and philosophers are given space to present and demonstrate scholarship through a unique epistemological lens. I appreciated how the event coordinators were intentional about creating space for researchers to present on topic areas that are not considered mainstream … Continue reading When Will We Give Space to Silent Voices?
Hospitals or prisons? Abdellah’s contributions for individualizing and humanizing care
Contributor: André Mafra Rodrigues Hospitals and prisons unequivocally have different work objectives. However, they have several similar aspects regarding their operation, organization, and service delivery. Thus, since these organizations have different work objectives, why do behaviors and dynamics persist today that make hospitals so like prisons? When admitted to any health care facility, patients are … Continue reading Hospitals or prisons? Abdellah’s contributions for individualizing and humanizing care
Is Nursing Theory Guiding Nursing Doctoral Research?
Source In March of 2022, at the Nursology Theory Conference, our research team presented a study that explored the use of theory, and specifically nursing theory, to guide nursing doctoral research. There was very little published research on this topic; therefore, a group of us decided to look into it. The topic of theory-guided research … Continue reading Is Nursing Theory Guiding Nursing Doctoral Research?
Nurse as Patient Part 2: Anomalies in Normal Science*
Photo by Jan Antonin Kolar on Unsplash I believe there is more to say about the “nurse as patient,” a necessary shift in our thinking about the global crisis in nursing. Let me start by describing an article I use in one of my courses. This semester, I am the instructor of record for a … Continue reading Nurse as Patient Part 2: Anomalies in Normal Science*
Nurse as Patient
I listened with great interest to the webinar presentation by Shannon Zenk, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, Director, National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), on “The Future of Nursing Research: Innovation, Collaboration and Impact,” to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing on April 28, 2022. Dr. Zenk outlined the priorities of the NINR (2022) as … Continue reading Nurse as Patient
Part III: Nightingale’s Neglected “Upstream” Advocacy
This is the third in a series focusing on Seacole and NightingalePart I: Debunking A “Bitter Rivalry”: The Notable Works of Mary Seacole and Florence NightingalePart II: The Nursing/Healing Work of Mary Seacole: Skillful Nurse and Doctress It is clearly beyond the scope of a blog to highlight Nightingale’s many achievements and it is unnecessary, … Continue reading Part III: Nightingale’s Neglected “Upstream” Advocacy
A Radical Imagination for Nursing?
In a recent article published by Nursing Philosophy, I make the case for cultivating a radical imagination for nursing. In this blog post, I will explore the connections between this radical imagination and its possibilities for nursing theory. The realities of the COVID19 pandemic have created hardships that we all experience, albeit in different ways. … Continue reading A Radical Imagination for Nursing?
Selling Theory
He lounged in the chair, laptop nestled in his lap. “Here, look at this,” he waived toward his screen. I bent over, squinting, and saw a colorful graph of lines that reminded me of a holiday decoration. “It’s a stochastic model of cellular growth….” He went on to mention the conditions that were being modeled, … Continue reading Selling Theory
Is Medicine a Trade or a Discipline or Profession?
Nursology is regarded as a discipline and a profession, which means that nursology constitutes distinctive knowledge encompassing nursological philosophies, conceptual models, grand theories, middle-range theories, and situation-specific theories (see all content on https://nursology.net and also https://nursology.net/2018/09/24/our-name-why-nursology-why-net/.Medici)ne, in contrast, is a trade. This assertion is based on my search of literature for several years and pondering … Continue reading Is Medicine a Trade or a Discipline or Profession?
Be careful what you wish for…
2020 was the year that… “Be careful what you wish for,” once again became imprinted in my brain as truth. In early 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that 2020 would be the “International Year of the Nurse and Nurse Midwife.” Among colleagues, there was lots of excitement about this. What would we do … Continue reading Be careful what you wish for…
Connotations of Research Speak: The Meaning of Words Used in Research Reports
Do we allow or invite people to participate in research? Do we refer to people who volunteer to be in a study as subjects or respondents or informants or participants or people? This blog is about the language we use when we present or publish our research. The impetus for this blog was a colleague’s … Continue reading Connotations of Research Speak: The Meaning of Words Used in Research Reports
Nursing and Racism: Are We Part of the Problem, Part of the Solution, or Perhaps Both?
One of the first "lessons" in my now-long-ago nursing education was "the nursing process." This was in the early 1960s, almost a decade before anyone spoke of nursing theory, but the University of Hawaii (my alma mater) had modeled the curriculum on that of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) which was designed … Continue reading Nursing and Racism: Are We Part of the Problem, Part of the Solution, or Perhaps Both?
What is Real Nursing and Who are Real Nurses? Perspectives from Japan
Thank you to the graduate students and faculty from St. Mary's College, Kurume, Japan, who contributed to this blog! Hayes (2018) published a thought-provoking article, "Is OR Nursing Real Nursing," in the September 2018 issue of the Massachusetts Report on Nursing. Her article was the catalyst for my invitation to students enrolled in the Fall … Continue reading What is Real Nursing and Who are Real Nurses? Perspectives from Japan