Aesthetic Patterns Of Knowing In Nursing

Empirics of Knowing The empirics of knowing in nursing, or the science of nursing, is one of the the principles within the nursing discipline defined by Carper that is essential for the teaching and learning of nursing. This discipline of knowledge as stated in the podcast is “systemically organized into general laws and theories with the purpose of describing, explaining, and predicting phenomenon, and that is research or science or empirics of nursing”. When utilizing empirics of knowing within nursing practice, evidence based practice is the common source that enables all healthcare members to be able to “produce, summarize, interpret and present evidence in systematic reviews and formulate clinical guidelines” (Cotton, A. H., & Roden,

This empirical practice of knowing helps me in situations when I may not know where to start, using evidence base to help facilitate individualized care most appropriate to each patient. Thus, through my observations and systemically organized ADPIE I am able to care for all patients in a personalized manor.

Aesthetic Pattern of Knowing

The aesthetic pattern of knowing is another one of Carper’s disciplines that is a significant for the knowledge development of nursing. To be able to understand our selves as nurses as well as our practice, it is important for us to appreciate nursing as not just a science but also an art. Aesthetic pattern or the “art” of nursing is as explained by Dana Yanulavich, “that ‘aha’ moment when we uncovered something new; and just as an artist creates a painting, you are afforded the

Not just knowing the ethical codes of conduct but the ability to discriminate and make moral judgment”. When situations are more complex, which is a common encounter within healthcare, utilizing the ethical pattern of knowing is essential. Unlike the protocols implemented through evidence based practice that are utilized at all times within a nurse’s day, ethical patterns and principles come into play when situations are not so factual or black and white. It is not what is morally obligated of us per protocol as nurses but what we acknowledge in our existential advocacy of our patients. The sense of a nurse’s “freedom, will, and knowledge to make a decision on their own behalf” as stated within the instructors podcast video. A clinical experience where I used ethical patterns of knowing is when I noticed that a patient that I had a few times in my previous shifts was not being medicated properly. I was not 100 percent sure of it, but as I knew the patient well and his baseline and requirements, and personalized specifics, due to the patient not being able to speak for himself, I thought it was my obligation as my duty and responsibility to be a patient advocate to speak with a nursing manager. I did not break any codes or regulations, and did not open his chart as he was not my patient for that day, but I objectively perceived that he