ABSTRACT
The primary goal of holistic nursing research is to develop and expand the knowledge base of holism and healing for nursing praxis. This article provides an overview of the process used to identify the research priorities for holistic nursing research over the next 3 to 5 years. A mixed method design using Appreciative Inquiry and surveys revealed five research priorities and the holistic philosophical foundation for these priorities. Additionally, new challenges in the environment, person, health, and nursing will undoubtedly emerge, requiring nurses to discern the research needs beyond 2026. This work seeks to inspire holistic nurses to consider research related to the American Holistic Nurses Association's five key research priorities.
ABSTRACT
Research has consistently demonstrated that viewing one's body in a mirror after an amputation or other perceived or visible body disfigurements can be a traumatic experience. Mirror viewing or mirroring is a taboo subject, which may be the reason this trauma has not been previously detected or acknowledged. Traumatic mirror viewing may lead to mirror discomfort, mirror avoidance, and a host of psychosocial concerns, including post-traumatic stress. As mirroring is complex, four qualitative mirror viewing studies, embodiment concepts, polyvagal theory, and memory theories were used to develop a model. In this article, foundational knowledge that led to the development of the model is shared. A neurocognitive model of mirror viewing is offered together with implications for nursing research, practice, and education.
Subject(s)
Body Image/psychology , Mental Status and Dementia Tests/standards , Humans , Self ConceptABSTRACT
The will is a word that nurses may use to describe their patients' actions or inactions. This concept has been extensively addressed by religions, psychologists, and philosophers. Ricoeur offered a phenomenology of the will in which three overarching key concepts were uncovered: decision, action, and consent. In this article, Ricoeur's elaborative and exhaustive description of these three concepts is summarized. Examples as to how a phenomenology of the will may guide nurses in their day-to-day clinical practice in caring are provided. In research, Ricoeur's phenomenology of the will may be used as a heuristic to guide phenomenological studies. An introduction to the will may act as a bridge between the art and science of nursing, providing nursing students with a greater understanding of the meaning of and need to provide holistic care.
Subject(s)
Book Reviews as Topic , Volition , Humans , Nursing Process/trends , Philosophy, NursingABSTRACT
PROBLEM: Incorporating mirrors into nursing is a relatively new field of research and practice. The focus of two studies was to explore (a) the meaning of women's mirror experiences following a mastectomy and (b) the experience of viewing self in the mirror for women who were terminally ill. The goal of the research was to establish a conceptual foundation for the development of nursing mirror interventions. METHODS: Open-ended questions and dialogical engagement in one-to-one audio-taped interviews were used in both studies. Ricoeur's hermeneutic phenomenology was used to analyze the findings. FINDINGS: Four concepts were uncovered in the experience of viewing self in the mirror: decision, seeing, understanding, and consent. CONCLUSION: Exemplar composite case studies across the care continuum are provided as examples of the way in which mirrors may be utilized in nursing practice.
Subject(s)
Body Image/psychology , Patients/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Mastectomy/psychology , Nurse-Patient Relations , Qualitative Research , Self Concept , Terminally Ill/psychologyABSTRACT
PROBLEM: Preparing women for the experiences they will endure during the breast cancer trajectory improves psychological outcomes and quality of life. Women have found that it may be difficult to view themselves in a mirror after having a mastectomy. Supporting women who have had a mastectomy in mirror-viewing and body image is a relatively new yet important intervention in oncology nursing. METHODS: The feasibility of a preoperative mirror program given by oncology nurse navigators to women who were scheduled for a mastectomy was examined in this randomized control study. FINDINGS: Pre- and postoperative data on anxiety, body image, depression, emotional well-being, and mirror use were collected from intervention participants (n = 10) and control subjects (n = 9). CONCLUSION: This article illustrates the development of the mirror program and the results of the feasibility trial, and provides a discussion with implications for future research.
Subject(s)
Body Image/psychology , Breast Neoplasms/psychology , Mastectomy/adverse effects , Mastectomy/psychology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Anxiety/psychology , Breast Neoplasms/therapy , Depression/psychology , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Patient Education as Topic/methodsABSTRACT
Use of the mirror is an everyday phenomenon for most individuals. There seems to be limited evidence-based studies that address mirror viewing and the appropriate use of mirrors for patients with dementia. Using a case study, the purpose of this study is to begin a dialogue with the nursing community on practical nursing interventions and the need for research in this area.
Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease/nursing , Body Image , Self Concept , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Health Services Needs and Demand , HumansABSTRACT
Peer debriefing in sensitive qualitative research is important for 2 reasons: study rigor and researcher emotional support. In this case study, the authors share a final debriefing following a study of the experience of viewing self in the mirror after a mastectomy. Each author/researcher shares, in her own words, her recollections of prestudy thoughts about the study. These thoughts stand in sharp contrast to poststudy realizations. These pre- and poststudy thoughts are a continuation of an audit trail that was maintained throughout the study. What was notable in this last debriefing was how the study shifted the researchers' understanding of the phenomenon under study and their use and discussion of the mirror in clinical practice. Lessons learned and implications for nursing are shared with the nursing community.
Subject(s)
Emotions , Research Personnel/psychology , Attitude of Health Personnel , Female , Humans , Mastectomy/psychology , Qualitative Research , Research DesignABSTRACT
The mirror is an object that shows one a reflected image of body areas. There appears to be limited nursing literature about the role of a nurse in the use of a mirror. There is, however, literature of the therapeutic use of mirrors in medicine, neurology, psychiatry, psychology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and rheumatology. The objective of this article is to review the basic elements and the underlying theoretical framework of mirror interventions. In 2007 to 2008, a keyword, abstract, and title search was conducted for therapeutic mirror studies between the years 1998 and 2008. A multidisciplinary, integrated review approach was used when it became apparent that there were limited nursing studies. Qualitative and quantitative strategies for reviewing evidence were used, and a narrative synthesis approach was used to guide the comprehensive synthesis. Underlying theoretical models were identified, and five elements of mirror interventions were synthesized from the literature.
Subject(s)
Holistic Nursing/methods , Optical Devices , Philosophy, Nursing , Self Care/methods , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Models, Nursing , Nurse's Role , Nursing Assessment , Nursing Service, Hospital/organization & administration , Self ConceptABSTRACT
There is little known research in nursing or in hospital design on mirrors. This article reports the results of a survey of the mirrors in patient rooms in 10 hospitals. The survey focused on the mirrors within rooms where women with breast cancer who have had a partial or complete mastectomy might stay after surgery. Mirrors to view one's full body and mirrors for the bed-bound patient were not available in the majority of hospitals. Privacy to view self in the mirror was also lacking. Viewing self in the mirror is an everyday lived experience for many outside the hospital. This survey points to a need for further research on the mirror in nursing practice and within our healing healthcare environments.