Introduction
The work of a nurse is very diverse. It is influenced by many factors that require making balanced decisions based on knowledge. Interestingly, nurses rely not only on academic empirical knowledge but also on personal experience, moral attitude, and aesthetic momentary assessment of the situation. This paper aims to discuss Carper’s Ways of Knowing and provide examples of clinical situations and nursing interventions that illustrate the empirical, personal, ethical, and aesthetic ways of knowing.
Empirical
As the empirical way of knowing refers to knowledge obtained from scientific sources, evidence-based practices are a prime example of its application. Empirical research enables nurses to make informed, science-based decisions. For example, providing care in nursing homes is much more effective when using evidence-based practices. Nursing interventions based on empirical knowledge help to maintain the health of patients who are prone to falls or have problems chewing food during serious illnesses and recovery (Prajankett & Markaki, 2021). Prevention of mental illnesses can also be based on empirical knowledge that was obtained through research, including qualitative and quantitative empirical and experimental studies.
Personal
Nurses also apply interventions based on their personal knowledge and understanding of the situation. For example, nurses who have family members with specific diseases have a better understanding of the needs of patients who experience the same symptoms. Personal, empathic knowledge can be very useful in palliative care (Kirkpatrick et al., 2019). The nurses who help patients with incurable diseases to make decisions about assisted suicide must have a developed sense of empathy and tact to understand unspoken fears, wishes, and requests in this extremely delicate situation.
Ethical
Ethical ways of understanding encompass attitudes and knowledge that have ethical prerequisites, as well as the understanding that nurses draw upon when making complex decisions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare professionals faced a difficult moral choice in providing patients with lung ventilation equipment (Schwerdtle et al., 2020). It is extremely difficult to decide who will live and who will die when there are not enough machines for each patient. In such situations, nurses are guided by ethical protocols generally accepted within the profession or their clinic, as this is the only way to reduce uncertainty and doubt when making decisions.
Aesthetic
The aesthetic way of knowledge has no relation to the dimensions of beauty, art, or fashion. In Carper’s Ways of Knowing context, aesthetic means are based on awareness of the immediate situation, the circumstances of immediate action, the unique personality, and the patient’s circumstances. Such knowledge is particularly useful in ICU units, where nurses must make immediate and effective decisions (Ozga et al., 2020). Aesthetic knowledge enables nurses to empathize more effectively and has a dynamic, practical aspect through the momentary understanding of the situation, which involves utilizing nursing instincts and professional experience. Quite often, nurses choose the direction of future work with patients based on such instant knowledge of their unique circumstances.
Conclusions
Carper’s Ways of Knowing were examined, with clinical cases and nursing interventions exemplifying the empirical, personal, ethical, and aesthetic dimensions of knowledge. Nurses typically apply empirical knowledge when making decisions about patient care and therapy. However, ethical knowledge helps them make difficult moral choices. At the same time, personal experience and aesthetic assessment enable more effective communication with patients and facilitate emergency care.
References
Kirkpatrick, A. J., Cantrell, M. A., & Smeltzer, S. C. (2019). Relationships among nursing student palliative care knowledge, experience, self-awareness, and performance: An end-of-life simulation study. Nurse Education Today, 73, 23-30.
Ozga, D., Krupa, S., Witt, P., & Mędrzycka-Dąbrowska, W. (2020). Nursing interventions to prevent delirium in critically ill patients in the intensive care unit during the covid19 pandemic – narrative overview. Healthcare 8(4), 578.
Prajankett, O., & Markaki, A. (2021). Integrated older people care and advanced practice nursing: an evidence‐based review. International Nursing Review, 68(1), 67-77.
Schwerdtle, P. N., Connell, C. J., Lee, S., Plummer, V., Russo, P. L., Endacott, R., & Kuhn, L. (2020). Nurse expertise: A critical resource in the COVID-19 pandemic response. Annals of Global Health, 86(1).