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Ways of Knowing

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Ways of Knowing
Nursing is a very rewording profession which can blossom when incorporated into practice of Carper’s fundamental patterns of thinking. After reading Cotton and Roden article (December 2006 – January 2007), I realized great importance of understanding and implementing four concepts of thinking into daily nursing practice. According to Carper (1978:21-22) empirics, aesthetics, personal and ethical way of knowing in nursing are ‘necessary for achieving mastery in the discipline’. I believe that implementing those four patterns of knowing into daily nursing care is vital in order to provide best quality care for each patient. Nursing care should be implemented in flexible, thoughtful manner and should be carefully executed in unique situation with unique patients.

Empirical Way of Knowing
Empirical way of thinking is defined in article as a ‘factual, descriptive…exemplary, discursively formulated and publically verifiable which is ultimately aimed at developing abstract and theoretical explanation’ (Carper: 15). This way of thinking is executed using Evidence Based Practice. I have been a nurse for the past 10 years and I believe that empirical way of knowing is most familiar to me. For example, my facility is using Congestive Heart Failure protocol (policy created by facility based on clinical practice guidelines CPG) for patients admitted to hospital with either new onset of CHF or exacerbation of the disease. Each patient with CHF has comprehensive assessments, symptoms management, appropriate use of medications (ACE inhibitors), daily weight monitoring, resident and family education throughout the hospital stay. This is achieved by using multidisciplinary approach for patient care and by following Evidence Based Practice.

Personal Way of Knowing
Personal way of knowing is probably easiest for me to understand. As quoted in article this

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