African philosophy and nursing: A potential twain that shall meet?

Undoubtedly, the discipline of nursing has been influenced extensively by both Western and Eastern/Asian philosophies. What remains unknown or, perhaps, poorly articulated is the potential influence of African philosophy on the onto-epistemology of nursing. As a starting point, this article sought to examine the core claims of African philosophy and how they may offer new meanings to the metaparadigm domains of interest in the discipline of nursing. At the core of African philosophy is the notion of personhood (which is distinguished from what it means to be a human being), community, solidarity, and relationality. A major claim of African philosophy is the notion that 'a person is a person through persons' which may mean that nursing will be relevant from the African philosophical perspective if it is able to attain this. Health and illness from the African philosophical perspective are defined relationally which shifts attention from the biomedical framework to holism and relational care. The sick 'person' is also distinguished from the sick 'human being' which has the potential of leading to exclusion from the African philosophical viewpoint. Put together, the African philosophical stance potentially extends the meaning of the metaparadigm domains of interest to the discipline of nursing which warrants further exploration.

Dialectical Pluralism for Nursing Knowledge Development.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of dialectical pluralism (DP) for nursing knowledge development. Nursing scholars have discussed ways of developing nursing knowledge, exploring the fit and relevance of various worldviews for knowledge development and examining the dynamic and perpetual processes of knowledge development. Scholars have argued that knowledge development occurs under a certain worldview to which the researcher adheres. Many nurses employ various worldviews, which can give rise to ontological and epistemological conflicts. DP can help nurses appreciate the diversity of worldviews and recognize the importance of implicit worldviews to generate more practical nursing knowledge. DP as a philosophical approach can enable nurses to communicate between diverse worldviews, become tolerant of conflicting differences, and develop an array of nursing knowledge.

Can philosophy benefit nurses and/or nursing? Heidegger and Strauss, problems of knowledge and context.

When researchers and scholars claim their work is based on a philosophical idea or a philosopher's corpus of ideas (and theory/theorist can be substituted for philosophy/philosopher), and when 'basing' signifies something significant rather than subsidiary or inconsequential, what level of understanding and expertise can readers reasonably expect authors to possess? In this paper, some of the uses to which philosophical ideas and named philosophers (Martin Heidegger and Leo Strauss) are put in exegesis is critiqued. Considering problematic instances of idea-name use may enable the question: 'Can philosophy benefit nurses and/or nursing?' to be better understood if not answered.

Is it true that all human beings have dignity?

The discussion around dignity in nursing philosophy has been underway for many years. The literature still lacks philosophical arguments that would justify the thesis that all people have dignity. Scholars who defend dignity as an intrinsic value most often refer to Kant. However, Kant does not seem to be the most suitable candidate to defend the thesis that all human beings possess dignity. In this paper, I attempt to show that Aristotle's and Aquinas's views can help justify this thesis. To this end, I distinguish between actual dignity, potential dignity, and existential dignity. I state that all human beings have existential dignity or potential dignity.

The place of philosophy in nursing.

Philosophy adds humanness to nursing and facilitates holistic care. Philosophies like Ubuntu which purports that a person is only a person through other people and emphasises community cohesion and caring for each other can add humanness to nursing. Because Ubuntu validates subjective experience and its meaning in the lifeworld, it exemplifies the basis of holistic and individualised caring in nursing. Although nurses can make their own philosophy through critical reflexivity, the convergent point is the goal of meaningful caring that is, sustaining health and the well-being of patients and significant others. Philosophy transcends job description, it encompasses visceral experience, personal beliefs and goals, resulting in purpose and deeper meaning to the nursing profession of caring as emulated by Florence Nightingale. While contemporary philosophy has been met with criticism as being detached from human concern, narrowly focussed and technical, it evokes critical thinking and promotes sociality in nursing practice. The Covid-19 pandemic vividly brought philosophy to the fore as nurses sacrificially and vulnerably rose to the challenge of caring not only for the sick, but also for families who through infection control measures were deprived of sociality. This paper argues that philosophy adds humanness and substance to nursing in the context of COVID-19.

The Uniqueness of Nursing in the Emerging Trend of Interdisciplinary Endeavors.

The author provides an introduction of the review of J. B. Butts and K. L. Rich's 4th edition of Philosophies and Theories for Advanced Nursing Practice (2022), pondering about preserving the uniqueness of nursing discipline and practice in the trend of interdisciplinary endeavors.

Del cuidado humano al cuidado del ambiente / From human care to environment care

El objetivo principal de esta teorización es reflexionar sobre el cuidado humano, a partir de la identificación de la crisis paradigmática y los cambios requeridos del paso de un modelo biomédico a uno transformador basado en la ciencia del cuidado humano. La metodología fue un estudio teórico de reflexión amparado en la teoría del cuidado humano y la teoría ecológica cosmocena. Los principales resultados dan cuenta de que los modelos de compresión ontológica amplían la visión del cuidado humano de la salud a una visión que involucra una comprensión del cuidado del ambiente, son una importante contribución al campo de las ciencias humanas y de la salud que puede servir para orientar nuevas formas de ser y actuar. Se concluye que es en el concepto de alfabetización ontológica unitaria donde las enfermeras y enfermeros poseen competencias que implican conciencia, formas de ser reflexivas e intencionales que conducen a la curación y plenitud de pacientes, familiar, colegas y el ambiente. En el área de salud, comprender la necesidad de un cambio hacia filosofías de cuidado, permite ir hacia paradigma generadores de salud. (AU)

The main objective of this theorization is to reflect on human care, starting from the identification of the paradigmatic crisis and the changes required to move from a biomedical model to a transforming model based on human care science. The methodology was a theoretical study of reflection based on the theory of human care and the cosmocene ecological theory. The main results show that the ontological understanding models expand the vision of human health care to a vision that involves an understanding of the care of the environment, they are an important contribution to the field of human and health sciences that can serve to guide new ways of being and acting. It is concluded that it is in the concept of unitary ontological literacy where nurses have skills that imply awareness, reflexive and intentional ways of being that lead to the healing and fulfillment of patients, family members, colleagues, and the environment. In the health area, understanding the need for a change towards care philosophies allows us to move towards health-generating paradigms. (AU)

Los modelos en enfermería, consideraciones prácticas respecto al contexto / Nursing models, practical considerations regarding the context

Un modelo científico es una representación abstracta, conceptual, gráfica, física y/o matemática, de sistemas, objetos, fenómenos y procesos físicos o sociales, que buscan analizar, describir, explicar, simular esos sistemas y fenómenos o procesos presentados ante una situación real. Los modelos se desarrollan a través de un proceso iterativo que permite determinar un resultado final a partir de unos datos de entrada, en el cual la evidencia empírica permite revisar y modificar los presupuestos básicos de los mismos. En nuestro caso, la profesión de enfermería, en España, los modelos actuales vienen dados e intentamos cuadrar nuestra realidad en ellos. Considerando nuestros propios objetivos, es necesario que nuestros modelos se ajusten a la situación de realidad que conceptualizan, pues es distinta. Todo modelo debe construirse a partir de conceptos y relaciones específicas en una adaptación a la realidad que cada profesional, enfermera vive. En nuestro caso, hablamos del contexto de cada enfermera, la situación cultural en la que se llevan a cabo los procesos de comunicación e interrelación, apoyándonos en bases epistemológicas y ontológicas, y siendo conocedores de los elementos conceptuales que dan sentido a la profesión. (AU)

A scientific model is an abstract, conceptual, graphic, physical and/or mathematical representation of systems, objects, phenomena and physical or social processes, which seek to analyse, describe, explain, simulate those systems and phenomena or processes presented in a real situation. The models are developed through an iterative process that allows determining a result from some input data, in which the empirical evidence allows reviewing and modifying their basic assumptions. In our case, the nursing profession in Spain, the current models are given, and we try to fit our reality into them. In relation with our own objectives, it is necessary that our models adjust to the reality that they conceptualize, since it is different. Every model must be built from specific concepts and relationships in an adaptation to the reality that each professional, nurse lives. In our case, we speak of the context of each nurse, the cultural situation in which communication and interrelation processes are carried out, relying on epistemological and ontological bases, and being aware of the conceptual elements that give meaning to the profession. (AU)

Philosophy as a contribution for the construction of knowledge in Nursing.

OBJECTIVE: To make considerations about Nursing knowledge and the inclusion of Philosophy, pointing out the contributions for Caring. METHOD: Theoretical text based on the literature from authors of Philosophy and Nursing scholars and theorists. RESULTS: The study offered an enumeration of philosophical characteristics important for the promotion of new knowledge and abilities for the advance of Nursing. CONCLUSION: The text indicated the major contribution of Philosophy, revealing Caring as the essence of humans and embracing it as the essence of Nursing as well.

La mujer con cáncer de mama desde la perspectiva fenomenológica de Heidegger / The woman with breast cancer from Heidegger's phenomenological perspective

La filosofía fenomenológica de Martin Heidegger parte de considerar la existencia y la necesidad de un fenómeno desde las cosas mismas y trata de buscar cómo se dan los acontecimientos en el día a día, y se generan nuevos conocimientos a partir de la experiencia vivida y los significados que le otorga cada ser. Las mujeres que padecen cáncer de mama tienen una experiencia única, pues padecen una enfermedad en la que experimentan emociones, así como cambios físicos, de salud y en las relaciones con las personas que las rodean. Por lo tanto, esta es una reflexión basada en una extensa revisión de la literatura científica. El objetivo fue describir el significado de la experiencia vivida para la mujer con diagnóstico de cáncer de mama a partir de la perspectiva fenomenológica de Heidegger. La revisión de la literatura y la comparación con la perspectiva fenomenológica de Heidegger hacen llegar a una reflexión sobre la percepción de la mujer en la experiencia de atravesar por la enfermedad, al tener impactos en la identidad propia, los cuales emergen sobre las dimensiones del ser psicológico, físico, social y espiritual. A partir de la literatura encontrada, una de las dimensiones más afectadas es la dimensión del ser espiritual, debido a su enfoque estrecho con la religiosidad, por lo que esta es un área de oportunidad en enfermería para poder comprender en todos los sentidos a las mujeres que pasan por el proceso de cáncer de mama.

Martin Heidegger's phenomenological philosophy starts from considering the existence and necessity of a phenomenon from the things themselves, trying to find how events occur in everyday life, generating new knowledge from the lived experience and the meanings given by each being. Women suffering from breast cancer have a unique experience, since they are coping with a disease and they are experiencing emotions, physical and health changes, as well as modifications in the relationships with people surrounding them. Therefore, this is a reflection based on an extensive review of the scientific literature. The aim of this paper was to describe the meaning of the lived experience for women diagnosed with breast cancer based on Heidegger's phenomenological perspective. The review of the literature and the comparison with Heidegger's phenomenological perspective leads to a reflection on the perception of women in the experience of going through the disease, having impacts on self-identity, emerging these on the dimensions of the psychological, physical, social and spiritual being. Based on the literature we found, one of the most affected dimensions is the spiritual being dimension, due to its close approach with religiosity, being this an area of opportunity in nursing to understand in all senses all women who go through the process of breast cancer.

Nursing science as the study of how to reconcile behavioral messiness with clinical norms and ideals.

There is no settled definition of nursing science that describes how this field of scientific research is unique. This paper attempts to correct this problem. It uses a combination of historical analysis and abductive argument to support the thesis that nursing science is a sui generis social science that studies how to reconcile clinical ideals or norms that are applicable to practice in nursing with the messiness of human behavior.

Building Disciplinary Knowledge in Nursing Education.

The author of this article provides an introduction to Chinn and colleagues' 11th edition of Knowledge Development in Nursing: Theory and Process, contemplating the significance of building disciplinary knowledge based on nursing theory and philosophy in nursing education.

Introduction to decolonizing nursing.

The fact that racism and other forms of discrimination and injustice have persisted in our own nursing communities despite our rhetoric of caring and compassion can no longer be denied. This fact gave rise to a webinar in which the scholars represented in this issue of Nursing Philosophy appear. The webinar centered on the philosophy, phenomenology and scholarship of Indigenous nurses and nurses of color. The authors of the articles in this issue are giving us the precious gift of their ideas. All of us, white scholars and scholars of color, must come together to receive this gift, learn from their words and their insight, debate the ideas, honor the perspectives, and consider ways that we can move this discourse forward to create new possibilities for nursing, new possibilities to shape the future development of our discipline.

Creating theory: Encouragement for using creativity and deduction in qualitative nursing research.

Texts about theory in nursing often refer to theory construction by using inductive methods in a rigid way. In this paper, it is instead argued that theories are created, which is in line with most philosophers of science. Theory creation is regarded as a creative process that does not follow a specific method or logic. As in any creative endeavour, the inspiration for theory creation can come from many sources, including previous research and existing theory. The main idea put forward is that deductive qualitative research approaches should play a key role in theory creation. Furthermore, there is a need to differentiate between theory creation and theory justification. A model that emphasizes the creative aspects of theory creation and theory justification using qualitative approaches is presented. The model suggests that knowledge development is a deductive trial-and-error process where theory creation is followed by testing. Scientific theory creation and justification are presented as an iterative process that is deductive in that a testable hypothesis is derived from the theory. If the hypothesis is falsified, then the theory needs modification or might be altogether wrong. Several factors can block the creative process, both in theory development and in finding ways to test a theory in the justification phase. Some of these blockers are the idea of 'building blocks' and the inductive view of science often brought forward in nursing. Other blockers include striving for consensus and adherence to existing nursing philosophies and existing theories. Research and knowledge development are creative processes, and following predefined methods is not enough to ensure scientific rigour in qualitative nursing research.

The use of Husserl's phenomenology in nursing research: A discussion paper.

AIMS: To discuss how Husserl's descriptive phenomenology, as a philosophy and approach, has been used and reported in researching the experiences of others, using the topic of foreign-trained nurses. DESIGN: Discussion paper. DATA SOURCES: A systematic search of MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, SCOPUS, British Nursing Database and PsycInfo was carried out in December 2021. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed phenomenological research articles, grounded by Husserl's philosophy, conducted among foreign-trained nurses and published in English from 2000 to 2021. FINDINGS: Two main themes were the outcome of critically reviewing relevant selected literature, 'referring to the original philosophy is not enough' and 'phenomenological findings need to be phenomenological'. These findings confirm some arguments about nurse researchers' discrepant use of phenomenology in their studies, including the proper application of phenomenological notions on the ground. IMPLICATION FOR NURSING: Nurse researchers need to clearly distinguish between phenomenology and other qualitative research approaches and consider the uniqueness of philosophical underpinnings that are essential in Husserl's phenomenology, which also need to be clearly applied and reflected in their studies. CONCLUSION: There are continually existing discrepancies and variations in using phenomenology by nurse researchers. These variations were uniquely evident when nurse researchers could not provide enough philosophical grounds and assumptions to their studies and underestimated the need to keep up with the various applications of Husserl's phenomenological notions, including the proper practice of phenomenological attitude. Therefore, it is recommended that nurse researchers should opt for different, less complex qualitative approaches if they do not adequately prepare and understand what constitutes phenomenology and the particulars of Husserl's philosophy. IMPACT: What problem did the study address? Phenomenology remains popular in nursing. However, it can confuse nurse researchers and may result in an improper understanding of its core concepts. The use of phenomenology in nursing has been criticized over the years with nurse researchers being accused of conducting phenomenological research inconsistent with the original philosophy. What were the main findings? Using phenomenology by nurse researchers is various and includes some discrepancies. This variation is caused by not complying with essential philosophical grounds and underestimating proper applications of Husserl's phenomenological notions. Where and on whom will the research have impact? Outcomes of this paper illustrate examples of proper and improper uses of Husserl's phenomenology in nursing research, including critical considerations, which can guide nurse researchers aiming to conduct descriptive phenomenological research. Additionally, nurse lecturers can utilize this paper to show and emphasize the importance of philosophical grounds in phenomenology. NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Due to the nature of this discussion paper addressing philosophical and methodological aspects using examples from the literature, no direct patient or public contribution was required.

The philosophy of Hans-Georg Gadamer: An exemplar of the complicated relationship between philosophy and nursing practice.

Philosophy has a complicated relationship with nursing practice. Selected concepts from Hans-Georg Gadamer's Truth and Method specifically prejudice, conversation, and language are articulated. An exemplar involving nursing practice at an outpatient clinic for women seeking pre- and postbreast cancer care is offered to explicate these concepts. We considered the fit of Gadamer's philosophy, particularly the concept of conversation, within a public health nursing practice context in home and community settings of the client/family and offered tentative conclusions. To extend the discussion of the relationship between philosophy and nursing practice, we posed questions developed to provide deeper insight into this complicated relationship.

Philosophical underpinnings of intersubjectivity and its significance to phenomenological research: A discussion paper.

Intersubjectivity is the proposition that human experience occurs in a world of shared and embodied understandings, mediated by culture and language. Nursing is fundamentally relational, and nursing research stems from an exchange between participants and researchers and indeed around the transaction of the patient and the nurse in the intersubjective space of clinical settings. Through the philosophical standpoints of Husserl, Merleau-Ponty, Heidegger, and Gadamer we examine these differing philosophical constructs of intersubjectivity and the contribution of these positions to phenomenological nursing inquiry. Particular framings of intersubjectivity should influence the way researchers interact with their participants and data so that the chosen philosophy sits coherently within a research plan and methodology. This exploration of philosophical standpoints is extended through examples of, and reflections upon, the authors' experiences of intersubjectivity in our published phenomenological nursing studies and through dynamic interactions that characterise interpretive activities within a research team.