NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

Chamberlain University NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing-Step-By-Step Guide

This guide will demonstrate how to complete the Chamberlain University NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing  assignment based on general principles of academic writing. Here, we will show you the A, B, Cs of completing an academic paper, irrespective of the instructions. After guiding you through what to do, the guide will leave one or two sample essays at the end to highlight the various sections discussed below.

How to Research and Prepare for NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing                  

Whether one passes or fails an academic assignment such as the Chamberlain University NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing  depends on the preparation done beforehand. The first thing to do once you receive an assignment is to quickly skim through the requirements. Once that is done, start going through the instructions one by one to clearly understand what the instructor wants. The most important thing here is to understand the required format—whether it is APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.

After understanding the requirements of the paper, the next phase is to gather relevant materials. The first place to start the research process is the weekly resources. Go through the resources provided in the instructions to determine which ones fit the assignment. After reviewing the provided resources, use the university library to search for additional resources. After gathering sufficient and necessary resources, you are now ready to start drafting your paper.

How to Write the Introduction for NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing                  

The introduction for the Chamberlain University NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing is where you tell the instructor what your paper will encompass. In three to four statements, highlight the important points that will form the basis of your paper. Here, you can include statistics to show the importance of the topic you will be discussing. At the end of the introduction, write a clear purpose statement outlining what exactly will be contained in the paper. This statement will start with “The purpose of this paper…” and then proceed to outline the various sections of the instructions.

How to Write the Body for NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing                  

After the introduction, move into the main part of the NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing  assignment, which is the body. Given that the paper you will be writing is not experimental, the way you organize the headings and subheadings of your paper is critically important. In some cases, you might have to use more subheadings to properly organize the assignment. The organization will depend on the rubric provided. Carefully examine the rubric, as it will contain all the detailed requirements of the assignment. Sometimes, the rubric will have information that the normal instructions lack.

Another important factor to consider at this point is how to do citations. In-text citations are fundamental as they support the arguments and points you make in the paper. At this point, the resources gathered at the beginning will come in handy. Integrating the ideas of the authors with your own will ensure that you produce a comprehensive paper. Also, follow the given citation format. In most cases, APA 7 is the preferred format for nursing assignments.

How to Write the Conclusion for NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing                  

After completing the main sections, write the conclusion of your paper. The conclusion is a summary of the main points you made in your paper. However, you need to rewrite the points and not simply copy and paste them. By restating the points from each subheading, you will provide a nuanced overview of the assignment to the reader.

How to Format the References List for NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing                  

The very last part of your paper involves listing the sources used in your paper. These sources should be listed in alphabetical order and double-spaced. Additionally, use a hanging indent for each source that appears in this list. Lastly, only the sources cited within the body of the paper should appear here.

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Sample Answer for NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing Included After Question

A Sample Answer For the Assignment: NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

Title: NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

Nurses practice in highly challenging environments. The demands in their practice imply that they constantly encounter ethical issues that require the use of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Therefore, this essay examines a challenging experience I encountered, application of Carper’s Patterns of Knowing and its influence on my practice.

One of the challenging practice situations that I have experienced as a nurse was a guardian who was against the immunization of her child. The guardian declined her child to be vaccinated because of her religious background as well as misconceptions about the negative effects of vaccines on health. I was unprepared to address the issue since it was my first time experiencing it. The important nursing issue that was inherent to the situation was respecting patient’s autonomy. Accordingly, patients have the decision to accept or decline any treatments. Nurses and other healthcare providers should respect their decisions are a way of ensuring autonomy in their practice (Navin et al., 2019). In addition, healthcare providers should inform the patients about the potential consequences of their decisions for them to make informed decisions.

The other inherent nursing issue in the situation is ethical dilemma. Often, nurses experience different forms of ethical dilemmas in their practice. They should make decisions that prioritize the needs of the patients as well as ensuring their optimal health. For example, the situation is an ethical dilemma since the child should be vaccinated to provide her with the desired immunity from communicable diseases. On the other hand, I experienced the challenge of having to respect the needs and decisions of the guardian, hence, the dilemma in addressing it.

Carper’s Patterns of Knowing can be applied to analyze the situation. The patterns include empirical, personal, ethical, and aesthetic. The model enables nurses to engage in continuous learning and apply knowledge into their daily practice (Brandão et al., 2020). The esthetics pattern of knowing can be applied to understand the underlying reasons for the guardian’s decline for her child to be immunized. One of them is religious beliefs and practices. Religious beliefs and practices influence the uptake of different treatment interventions in a population. Nurses and other healthcare providers should respect the decisions that parents and guardians make regarding the immunization of their children (Nurmi & Harman, 2022). Some states have also adopted laws that recognize the exemption of such children in educational institutions.

The other underlying reason for the guardian’s refusal for her child to be immunized is lack of knowledge about the benefits of immunization. Lack of information contributes to stereotypes that affect the population’s uptake of immunizations. Interventions such as health education may change the attitude and knowledge that parents have towards vaccines. The last potential reason for the refusal is mistrust on healthcare systems. Accordingly, individuals from ethnic minority groups have demonstrated low utilization of health promotion and disease prevention strategies such as immunizations because of their negative experiences with healthcare systems (Nurmi & Harman, 2022). These experiences inform their displeasure and rejection of interventions such as immunization for health promotion.

I gained some insights from the above experience. One of them was the importance of being competent to address ethical dilemmas in nursing practice. I learned about the steps of ethical decision-making that nurses should use in solving issues they experience in their practice. For example, I learned about the importance of collecting accurate data, using the data to formulate alternatives, selecting the best alternative, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating its effectiveness. I will apply the knowledge in addressing ethical issues in my practice. For example, I will use it in addressing similar issues such as refusal for blood transfusion among the patients that I serve in my practice.

In summary, the experience above raised my understanding of the different factors that influence people’s refusal of vaccinations. Carper’s Patterns of Knowing can be applied to understand better challenging situations and develop effective solutions. The experience increased my understanding of ethical decision-making in nursing practice.

NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing References

Brandão, A. P. da C. L., Peres, M. A. de A., Aperibense, P. G. G. de S., Lopes, R. O. P., Santos, J. de C., & Brandão, M. A. G. (2020). Evidence of nursing patterns of knowing communicated by the brazilian press before Florence Nightingale’s model. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, 73. https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2019-0790

Navin, M. C., Wasserman, J. A., Ahmad, M., & Bies, S. (2019). Vaccine Education, Reasons for Refusal, and Vaccination Behavior. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 56(3), 359–367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2018.10.024

Nurmi, J., & Harman, B. (2022). Why do parents refuse childhood vaccination? Reasons reported in Finland. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 50(4), 490–496. https://doi.org/10.1177/14034948211004323

A Sample Answer 2 For the Assignment: NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

Title: NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

As a new grad nurse, I had a challenging situation attending to a female patient in her late 40s. The attending physician prescribed an IV antibiotic after being diagnosed with tonsillitis. My duties were to start an IV line and administer the antibiotic, but I had a hard time cannulating her because she was obese. As a result, I injected her severally but failed to get venous access. The patient got angry and demanded that she be handled by a more experienced nurse. She referred to me as a ‘schoolgirl’ and complained that a student attended her. I tried explaining to the patient that I am a qualified nurse and the cannulation was difficult because of her fat mass, but she did not listen and kept demanding for a qualified nurse. I spoke to my supervisor, who calmed the patient, and we were got venous access with the help of a phlebotomist.

The nursing issue inherent in the situation was nonmaleficence since injecting the patient severally without getting venous access was causing pain. Nonmaleficence is a moral duty that requires nurses not to harm a patient intentionally (Stone, 2018). Nurses must provide a standard of care while avoiding risk or minimizing it, as it connects to medical competence (Stone, 2018). In the situation, I felt uncomfortable because the patient did not trust my skills after several failed attempts in getting venous access. Besides, I felt that I was incapable of handling a patient who considered me incompetent since I was a novice nurse. As a result, I doubted my ability to calm the patient and my cannulation skills.

During this reflective practice, I have learned that novice nurses should observe how experienced nurses handle challenging patient situations to learn how to handle the same in future situations. Besides, I have learned that interprofessional collaboration is crucial, and a provider should never be reluctant to ask for help from other providers (Morley & Cashell, 2017). I will apply the insights as an NP by collaborating with the interprofessional team in the care of patients and asking members how we can improve clinical practices and patient outcomes.

NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing References

Morley, L., & Cashell, A. (2017). Collaboration in health care. Journal of medical imaging and radiation sciences, 48(2), 207-216. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmir.2017.02.071

Stone, E. G. (2018). Evidence-Based Medicine and Bioethics: Implications for Health Care Organizations, Clinicians, and Patients. The Permanente Journal, 22, 18-030. https://doi.org/10.7812/TPP/18-030

A Sample Answer 3 For the Assignment: NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

Title: NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

Nurses practice in highly challenging environments. The demands in their practice imply that they constantly encounter ethical issues that require the use of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Therefore, this essay examines a challenging experience I encountered, application of Carper’s Patterns of Knowing and its influence on my practice.

One of the challenging practice situations that I have experienced as a nurse was a guardian who was

against the immunization of her child. The guardian declined her child to be vaccinated because of her religious background as well as misconceptions about the negative effects of vaccines on health. I was unprepared to address the issue since it was my first time experiencing it. The important nursing issue that was inherent to the situation was respecting patient’s autonomy. Accordingly, patients have the decision to accept or decline any treatments. Nurses and other healthcare providers should respect their decisions are a way of ensuring autonomy in their practice (Navin et al., 2019). In addition, healthcare providers should inform the patients about the potential consequences of their decisions for them to make informed decisions.

The other inherent nursing issue in the situation is ethical dilemma. Often, nurses experience different forms of ethical dilemmas in their practice. They should make decisions that prioritize the needs of the patients as well as ensuring their optimal health. For example, the situation is an ethical dilemma since the child should be vaccinated to provide her with the desired immunity from communicable diseases. On the other hand, I experienced the challenge of having to respect the needs and decisions of the guardian, hence, the dilemma in addressing it.

Carper’s Patterns of Knowing can be applied to analyze the situation. The patterns include empirical, personal, ethical, and aesthetic. The model enables nurses to engage in continuous learning and apply knowledge into their daily practice (Brandão et al., 2020). The esthetics pattern of knowing can be applied to understand the underlying reasons for the guardian’s decline for her child to be immunized. One of them is religious beliefs and practices. Religious beliefs and practices influence the uptake of different treatment interventions in a population. Nurses and other healthcare providers should respect the decisions that parents and guardians make regarding the immunization of their children (Nurmi & Harman, 2022). Some states have also adopted laws that recognize the exemption of such children in educational institutions.

The other underlying reason for the guardian’s refusal for her child to be immunized is lack of knowledge about the benefits of immunization. Lack of information contributes to stereotypes that affect the population’s uptake of immunizations. Interventions such as health education may change the attitude and knowledge that parents have towards vaccines. The last potential reason for the refusal is mistrust on healthcare systems. Accordingly, individuals from ethnic minority groups have demonstrated low utilization of health promotion and disease prevention strategies such as immunizations because of their negative experiences with healthcare systems (Nurmi & Harman, 2022). These experiences inform their displeasure and rejection of interventions such as immunization for health promotion.

I gained some insights from the above experience. One of them was the importance of being competent to address ethical dilemmas in nursing practice. I learned about the steps of ethical decision-making that nurses should use in solving issues they experience in their practice. For example, I learned about the importance of collecting accurate data, using the data to formulate alternatives, selecting the best alternative, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating its effectiveness. I will apply the knowledge in addressing ethical issues in my practice. For example, I will use it in addressing similar issues such as refusal for blood transfusion among the patients that I serve in my practice.

In summary, the experience above raised my understanding of the different factors that influence people’s refusal of vaccinations. Carper’s Patterns of Knowing can be applied to understand better challenging situations and develop effective solutions. The experience increased my understanding of ethical decision-making in nursing practice.

NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing References

Brandão, A. P. da C. L., Peres, M. A. de A., Aperibense, P. G. G. de S., Lopes, R. O. P., Santos, J. de C., & Brandão, M. A. G. (2020). Evidence of nursing patterns of knowing communicated by the brazilian press before Florence Nightingale’s model. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, 73. https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2019-0790

Navin, M. C., Wasserman, J. A., Ahmad, M., & Bies, S. (2019). Vaccine Education, Reasons for Refusal, and Vaccination Behavior. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 56(3), 359–367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2018.10.024

Nurmi, J., & Harman, B. (2022). Why do parents refuse childhood vaccination? Reasons reported in Finland. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 50(4), 490–496. https://doi.org/10.1177/14034948211004323

 

A Sample Answer For the Assignment: NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

TITLE: NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

A Sample Answer 4 For the Assignment: NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

Title: NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

This is an in-depth and informative post about your experiences in the initial days of clinical practice. Indeed, I agree with you that it is important to gain in-depth knowledge and practice that relates to a field of specialty prior to practicing. There is always a great disparity between nursing theory gained in school and clinical practice. As such, clinical experience is necessary for nurses before commencing practice. Novel nurses need to consider programs such as residency programs to hone their clinical experience before practice. These programs are developed to support novel nurses as they transition to clinical practice (Lam et al., 2020). Gaining clinical experience is critical in ensuring hands-on job experience, which is essential in preparing novel nurses for a diverse patient-care environment in various settings. Clinical experience before entry into the professional world enables immense knowledge for nurses.

Clinical experience provides the best way to learn to be autonomous on the job and all the steps needed for quality patient care. It also enables novel nurses to learn how to work effectively. Gaining in-depth knowledge and practice that relates to a field of specialty prior to practicing will help novel nurses to become more familiar with high-stress moments. This experience will allow them to improve their practice skills and reflexes to ensure they are prepared for anything in the practice. Clinical learning is also essential in training nurses how to address both high-stress and routine situations on the job without adversely influencing their outcomes (Todd et al., 2019). Overall, clinical experience is essential in facilitating the transition from theory to hands-on practice. Novel nurses get to experience what nursing practice actually entails.

NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing References

Lam, C. K., Schubert, C. F., & Herron, E. K. (2020). Evidence‐based practice competence in nursing students preparing to transition to practice. Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing, 17(6), 418-426. https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12479

Todd, B. A., Brom, H., Blunt, E., Dillon, P., Doherty, C., Drayton-Brooks, S., … & Aiken, L. (2019). Precepting nurse practitioner students in the graduate nurse education demonstration: A cross-sectional analysis of the preceptor experience. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 31(11), 648. Doi: 10.1097/JXX.0000000000000301

A Sample Answer 5 For the Assignment: NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

Title: NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

I achieved most of my objectives this week. I utilized several strategies to achieve them. One of the most important interventions I used was setting realistic plans to achieve the objectives. The plan detailed the prioritized interventions that I needed to achieve the set objectives. It also gave a realistic timeline for achieving the objectives and the resources that I needed. The planning also enabled me to evaluate the effectiveness of the adopted strategies. I improved them based on the evaluation outcomes. For example, I focused largely on successful strategies to eliminate any challenges experienced in achieving the outcomes.

I value several things about my learning this week. One of them is prioritizing tasks. The week’s activities have been immense and requiring most of my attention. However, I discovered that prioritizing the tasks is an important way to achieve most of the tasks that I need to undertake throughout the learning process. Prioritizing ensures the efficiency in the implementation of the different tasks and use of resources to achieve the desired outcomes. The other aspect that I value the most from this week is learning about evidence-based practice (Butts & Rich, 2021). I learned about the effective strategies that I can utilize to incorporate best practices into my nursing care.

I need to explore the application of different nursing theories to grow further as a future nurse practitioner. I want to learn more about the application of different theories to nursing situations and optimize care outcomes. I also need to identify a nursing theory that aligns with my personal and professional values (Smith, 2019). The understanding is important in ensuring the delivery of appropriate and high-quality care.

NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing References

Butts, J. B., & Rich, K. L. (2021). Philosophies and Theories for Advanced Nursing Practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Smith, M. C. (2019). Nursing Theories and Nursing Practice. F.A. Davis

NR501NP-10808 Week 2: Ways of Knowing (Orig Post Due Wednesday, Responses Due Sunday)

This is a graded discussion: 75 points possible

Due Jan 22

A Sample Answer 6 For the Assignment: NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

Title: NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

The purpose of the graded collaborative discussions is to engage faculty and students in an interactive dialogue to assist the student in organizing, integrating, applying, and critically appraising knowledge regarding advanced nursing practice. Scholarly information obtained from credible sources as well as professional communication are required. Application of information to professional experiences promotes the analysis and use of principles, knowledge, and information learned and related to real-life professional situations. Meaningful dialogue among faculty and students fosters the development of a learning community as ideas, perspectives, and knowledge are shared.

As a novice nurse, I was employed at a large hospital on a cardiac step-down unit. The training I received was almost non-existent. I was told the best way to learn is by doing, however, the preceptor was always overwhelmed and had very little time to explain things. After completing the brief training period I was assigned a group of patients. On the first day, a patient became unresponsive.  I froze and did not know how to call a code or what to do. Shortly after, I quit and obtained a job with a nurse residency program that provided adequate training.

Reflecting on the previous situation, Carper’s Pattern of Knowing empirics would be applicable.  A study conducted in Taiwan and the U.K. found that most nurses became preceptors without receiving sufficient training (Hong & Yoon, 2021). Lack of training is a systemic issue in nursing, often leaving new nurses to obtain knowledge by trial and error.  Empirical knowledge is obtained by direct or indirect observation and measurement (Chamberlain University, n.d.).

Soon I will be in the same situation, a novice. As a new nurse practitioner, I am concerned about prescribing treatment that is effective and safe. In a study of new psychiatric nurse practitioners (PMHNP)  The most prominent challenges reported by students were regarding medication treatment adherence, decision-making, and monitoring symptom-related outcomes. Reflection, combined with faculty- and preceptor-supported clinical education, assists PMHNP students in developing psychopharmacological competency (Mangano, E et al, 2020). I plan to reflect after providing care for every patient, in addition to being open to critique therefore improvement.

References

Chamberlain University (n.d.). Characteristics of Carper’s Patterns of Knowing in Nursing. https://lms.courselearn.net/lms/CourseExport/manual/interactives/CCN/NR501_W2_CapersPatterns/index.html.

Hong, & Yoon, H.-J. (2021). Effect of Nurses’ Preceptorship Experience in Educating New Graduate Nurses and Preceptor Training Courses on Clinical Teaching Behavior. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(3), 975–. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18030975Links to an external site..

Mangano, E., Gonzalez, Y., & Kverno, K. S. (2020). Challenges Faced by New Psychiatric–Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Prescribers. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 58(10), 7–11. https://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20200915-01.

A Sample Answer 8 For the Assignment: NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

Title: NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing

When I think of a challenging situation, many come to mind. I completed an accelerated nursing program at the very beginning of the Covid pandemic. This put me in a unique and challenging situation as I was hired during the worst of Covid to a stroke floor that had become the epicenter of our hospital’s Covid positive patient population. I was hired with the understanding of a comprehensive five month orientation. Due to understaffing, and Covid fears, seasoned nurses saw this as an opportunity to skip some patient care tasks and let the “new grad” handle it. So there I was, brand new, scared, and faced with caring for extremely ill patients while communicating with my preceptor through a glass door when concerns arose. I walked into a room of a 40 something year old woman who was struggling through Covid. Isolated and alone, she was scared. I gave her morning medications and noted two strange findings. One was a large softball sized hematoma on her forearm, she said the doctors told her it was “nothing to be concerned with”. The other was a massive bruise to her abdomen. I immediately found this to be concerning. I asked questions regarding it and the patient told me it came in the last few days and she was told it was due to heparin shots she was receiving. Another complaint that, had I been more experienced, would have triggered a red flag was constant upper leg pain and discomfort that was being addressed ineffectively with flexeril. I came out and voiced my concerns about the hematomas. My seasoned preceptor said “sometimes that happens with the heparin shots,” my gut told me that something was wrong. I kept advocating for the patient and my preceptor finally said “if you are that concerned, go in, draw the curtain, and I will look at it from the door.” I did just that, and was met with overall disinterest. She told me she would make the doctor aware and made me feel that I was unnecessarily concerned. Later that night the patient had a 3 second pause on the cardiac monitor which caused her to become unresponsive for a short period of time. We immediately called a rapid response. All I remember is the patient yelling “am I going to die, I’m scared.” The patient died from a retroperitoneal bleed. The hematoma arose after being on an improperly monitored heparin drip just days before. This situation shook me to my core. It was that inherent knowing that something is not right, regardless of someone telling you not to worry. I was new, I was inexperienced, I tried and unfortunately my concerns fell on deaf ears. By the time the bleed was found it was too late. There were no ICU beds, obtaining central access became an issue, and she began deteriorating faster than the required care could be provided.

There are many nursing issues that came into play in this situation including Covid fears, lack of new nurse confidence, lack of experienced mentors, lack of physician support, communication, ethics, and ultimately, reflection, as much was learned from this situation for all parties involved. Unfortunately, if I had been validated in my concerns by my precepting nurse, or if I had more confidence to take control of the situation, harm could have been avoided and this life could have been spared. The nursing issue inherent in this identified situation is the feeling of being unprepared and uncomfortable. Had I been properly oriented and accompanied, I may have had a better understanding of this patient’s health situation, and been more prepared for the emergency that ensued. Had my precepting nurse been more willing to listen to a “new grad’s” concerns, this situation could have been averted.

In 1978, Carper constructed the fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing including empirical, aesthetic, personal, and ethical ways of knowing (Rafii et al., 2021). Personal knowing is the relationship between the nurse and the patient and demands self reflection and knowledge of self in order to properly engage with the patient and to provide care that is person-centered. According to Jacobs, (2013), there was a proposal for Carper’s model to rephrase personal knowing to become advocacy of nursing. The idea of advocacy in nursing is well known and encompasses personal knowledge, self reflection, with personal caring to treat the patient as a unique, whole, person. This idea of existential advocacy was put forth by Gadow in the 80’s and solved the issue of becoming emotionally “infected” and allowed for indirect feelings or “fellow feelings” as a way to professionally connect on a personal level in nursing (Jacobs, 2013). When reflecting on this situation I can apply Carper’s personal pattern of knowing to recall my thoughts and feelings in response to the situation. I remember feeling nervous and scared for the patient the entire day. I remember my stomach dropping when we called the rapid response, and holding her hand telling her everything would be okay when I knew it wouldn’t. I can also remember the feeling of distrust and lack of support I felt toward my preceptor as my concerns were not only ignored but also not validated after all was said and done. I also remember the tears that followed when I found out she had died due to lack of proper monitoring or care by all staff involved for the duration of her stay.

Many insights were gained during this reflective practice opportunity. Most importantly, I gained insight on the importance of advocacy and personal knowing. This situation not only gave me appreciation for trusting my own intuition but also on the importance of supporting new nurses. Research has shown that it is crucial to emotionally support newly graduated nurses, as it has been proven to reduce occupational stress, increase motivation, self-confidence and satisfaction, as well as enhance professional competence (Ebrahimi et al., 2016). During the transition from nurse to nurse practitioner I am sure there will be many occurrences where I feel unprepared or uncomfortable. I plan to utilize Carper’s Patterns of Knowing to enhance my nursing knowledge and engage meaningfully as a patient provider. I believe this particular situation gave me insight into how to be a better leader and to never ignore concerns of a new nurse just because they lack the same level of experience. Being a supportive asset as an advanced provider will help to enhance both patient care and boost team morale.

Being a new nurse on a Medical-Surgical unit led to many uncomfortable situations. One situation where I felt underprepared was having a 95-year-old patient who could not make informed decisions. Therefore, the family made medical decisions. The patient was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, and he began to decline quickly. The family wished to keep his code status as full code; however, they were never present as they lived in a different state. The patient coded while on our floor, and we successfully revived the patient. After transferring to ICU, he returned to our unit. The patient could not follow any commands or take in nutrition, and the family decided to keep the patient a full code. The patient never recovered to his status before his code and had little quality of life. The patient was deemed too unstable for a PEG tube and received TPN. After speaking with the doctors, the family made the patient a DNR. The patient was awaiting a hospice bed when he passed. The family never came to offer support, and the patient suffered the last two weeks of life.   

Experiencing death elicits a range of emotions that nursing school does not prepare for. As healthcare providers, we are trained to heal and send patients home to loved ones; moreover, a sense of failure can encompass a new graduate nurse when death occurs. Understanding the complex nature of nursing is essential to the practice of nursing. Caper’s theory is a method to identify the patterns of knowing that contribute to the professional identity of nursing; furthermore, it provides a perspective of knowledge gained from experience and science (Jacobs, 2013). The four ways of knowing included in the theory are empirical, ethical, personal, and aesthetic knowledge (Rafii et al., 2021). Empirical knowing is expressed through facts and models; ethical knowing highlights what is right and responsible; personal knowing enables the nurse to identify personal beliefs to avoid biases; aesthetic knowledge is achieved through empathy and recognizing specific cases rather than holism (Rafii et al., 2021).   

Using Caper’s theory allows the nurse to reflect upon insights obtained through experiences and empirical knowledge. Using Caper’s theory of personal knowing and imagining myself in this patient’s position, I believe it would be a horrible way to live my remaining few weeks of life. Everyone wants a peaceful death surrounded by loved ones.   

Reflecting upon experiences as learning opportunities to apply to future situations is essential. Nursing is complex and requires critical thinking, clinical skills, and control over practice (Parker & Smith, 2015). In the future, I will continue to use the process and reflect upon knowledge acquired through experience and practice to gain insights to apply to future encounters to continue growth and development.   

Jacobs, B. B. (2013). An innovative professional practice model adaptation of Carper’s patterns of knowing, patterns of research, and Aristotle’s intellectual virtuesLinks to an external site.. Advances in Nursing Science, 36(4), 271-288. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANS.0000000000000002Links to an external site.. 

Parker, M. E., & Smith, M. C. (2015). Nursing theories and nursing practice (4th ed.). F. A. Davis Company.   

Rafii, F., Nasrabadi, A. N., & Tehrani, F. J. (2021). How Nurses Apply Patterns of Knowing in Clinical Practice: A Grounded Theory Study. Ethiopian journal of health sciences, 31(1), 139–146. https://doi.org/10.4314/ejhs.v31i1.16 

Activity Learning Outcomes

Through this discussion, the student will demonstrate the ability to:

Demonstrate logical and creative thinking in the analysis and application of a theory to nursing practice. (PO 2 and 5) Weeks 2, 6

Examine broad theoretical concepts as foundational to advanced nursing practice roles. (PO 1 and 2) Weeks 1, 2, 4

Analyze theories from nursing and relevant fields with respect to the components, relationship among the components, and application to advanced nursing practice. (PO 1) Weeks 4, 6

Due Date: Sunday, 11:59pm MT

A 10% late penalty will be imposed for discussions posted after the deadline on Wednesday, regardless of the number of days late. Nothing will be accepted after 11:59pm MT on Sunday (i.e. student will receive an automatic 0). Week 8 discussion closes on Saturday at 11:59pm MT.

Total Points Possible:  75

Requirements:

Discussion Criteria

Application of Course Knowledge: The student post contributes unique perspectives or insights gleaned from personal experience or examples from the healthcare field. The student must accurately and fully discuss the topic for the week in addition to providing personal or professional examples. The student must completely answer the entire initial question.

Engagement in Meaningful Dialogue: The student responds to a student peer and course faculty to further dialogue.

Peer Response: The student responds substantively to at least one topic-related post by a student peer. A substantive post adds content or insights or asks a question that will add to the learning experience and/or generate discussion.

A post of “I agree” with a repeat of the other student’s post does not count as a substantive post. A collection of shallow posts does not equal a substantive post.

The peer response must occur on a separate day from the initial posting.

The peer response must occur before Sunday, 11:59 p.m. MT.

Faculty Response: The student responds substantively to at least one question by course faculty. The faculty question may be directed to the student, to another student, or to the entire class.

A post of “I agree” with a repeat of the faculty’s post does not count as a substantive post. A collection of shallow posts does not equal a substantive post.

The faculty response must occur on a separate day from the initial posting.

Integration of Evidence: The student post provides support from a minimum of one scholarly in-text citation with a matching reference and assigned readings or online lessons, per discussion topic per week.

What is a scholarly resource? A scholarly resource is one that comes from a professional, peer-reviewed publication (e.g., journals and government reports such as those from the FDA or CDC).

Contains references for sources cited

Written by a professional or scholar in the field and indicates credentials of the author(s)

Is no more than 5 years old for clinical or research articles

What is not considered a scholarly resource?

Newspaper articles and layperson literature (e.g., Readers Digest, Healthy Life Magazine, Food, and Fitness)

Information from Wikipedia  or any wiki

Textbooks

Website homepages

The weekly lesson

Articles in healthcare and nursing-oriented trade magazines, such as Nursing Made Incredibly Easy and RNMagazine (Source: What is a scholarly article.docx; Created 06/09 CK/CL  Revised: 02/17/11,  09/02/11  nlh/clm)

Can the lesson for the week be used as a scholarly source?

Information from the weekly lesson can be cited in a posting; however, it is not to be the sole source used in the post.

Are resources provided from CU acceptable sources (e.g., the readings for the week)?

Not as a sole source within the post. The textbook and/or assigned (required) articles for the week can be used, but another outside source must be cited for full credit. Textbooks are not considered scholarly sources for the purpose of discussions.

Are websites acceptable as scholarly resources for discussions?

Yes, if they are documents or data cited from credible websites. Credible websites usually end in .gov or .edu; however, some .org sites that belong to professional associations (e.g., American Heart Association, National League for Nursing, American Diabetes Association) are also considered credible websites. Websites ending with .com are not to be used as scholarly resources.

Professionalism in Communication: The post presents information in logical, meaningful, and understandable sequence, and is clearly relevant to the discussion topic. Grammar, spelling, and/or punctuation are accurate.

Wednesday Participation Requirement: The student provides a substantive response to the graded discussion question(s) or topic(s), posted by the course faculty (not a response to a peer), by Wednesday, 11:59 p.m. MT of each week.

Total Participation Requirement: The student provides at least three substantive posts (one to the initial question or topic, one to a student peer, and one to a faculty question) on two different days during the week.

Description

Application of Course Knowledge:

Answers the initial discussion question(s)/topic(s), demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the concepts for the week.

Engagement in Meaningful Dialogue With Peers and Faculty

Responds to a student peer and course faculty furthering the dialogue by providing more information and clarification, adding depth to the conversation

Integration of Evidence

Assigned readings or online lesson and at least one outside scholarly source are included. The scholarly source is:

• Evidence-based, 2) scholarly in nature, 3) published within the last 5 years

Total CONTENT Points= [60 pts]

DISCUSSION FORMAT

Category

Points

Description

Grammar and Communication

Presents information using clear and concise language in an organized manner

Reference Citation

References have complete information as required by APA

In-text citations included for all references  and references included for all in-text citation

Total FORMAT Points= [15 pts]

DISCUSSION TOTAL= 75 points

Preparing the Assignment

Nursing knowledge is classified in a variety of ways, one of which is Carper’s Patterns of Knowing (Carper, 1978). Carper’s framework offers a lens through which the nurse can reflect upon insights acquired through empirical, ethical, personal, and aesthetic knowledge (Carper, 1978). Through intentional reflection using Carper’s Patterns of Knowing, nurses can process experiential learning and knowledge acquired through practice. The purpose of this assignment is to reflect upon a specific practice situation and better understand the professional knowledge and insights obtained through that experience.

Criteria for Content

Think of a surprising or challenging practice situation in which you felt underprepared, unprepared, or uncomfortable.

Select an important nursing issue/topic that was inherent to the identified situation.

Briefly explain the situation

Identify the nursing issue inherent in the identified situation

As a method of refection, use Carper’s Patterns of Knowing to analyze the situation. In your discussion, address ONE of the following Patterns of Knowing:

What do you think was the underlying reason for the situation? (Esthetics)

What were your thoughts and feeling in the situation? (Personal)

What was one personal belief that impacted your actions? (Ethics)

What evidence in nursing literature supports the nursing importance of the identified issue? (Empirical)

What new insights did you gain through this reflective practice opportunity? How will this apply to your practice as a nurse practitioner? Be sure to use scholarly literature to support your position.

**To see view the grading criteria/rubric, please click on the 3 dots in the box at the end of the solid gray bar above the discussion board title and then Show Rubric.

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NR 501 Week 2 Discussion: Ways of Knowing Grading Rubric Guidelines

NOTE: To receive credit for a week’s discussion, students may begin posting no earlier than the Sunday immediately before each week opens. Unless otherwise specified, access to most weeks begins on Sunday at 12:01 a.m. MT, and that week’s assignments are due by the next Sunday by 11:59 p.m. MT. Week 8 opens at 12:01 a.m. MT Sunday and closes at 11:59 p.m. MT Wednesday. Any assignments and all discussion requirements must be completed by 11:59 p.m. MT Wednesday of the eighth week.

We both described different, yet, similar situations with the same root problem, overwhelmed and inattentive preceptors. I can’t believe your orientation was so brief and I am so sorry you went through that. Being a new nurse is terrifying!! My friend just recently had the same experience as an APN. She transitioned from a pain management position where she had mastered those skills and into emergency medicine with 3 days of orientation. 3 DAYS!? Though she felt like she could manage basic care center complaints, she felts overwhelmed and unprepared as a main ER provider and to this day, avoids those shifts. It is unsafe for patients and unfair for providers to be slighted of a proper orientation time. As we know, good orientation programs produce confident and competent nurses and nurse practitioners and that is something I will ensure is available prior to transitioning into an APN role. I believe lived experience as well as application of Carper’s patterns of knowing such as empirical knowledge-the science behind nursing- that we will gain through this program will help to produce well-rounded and fully prepared advanced providers .