scholarly journals More Than Meets the Eye: Explicating the Essence of Gerontology Nursing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anne Therese Schumacher

<p><b>The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the essence of gerontology nursing. This project sought to look beyond the practical tasks and skills of gerontology nursing to reveal what is more than meets the eye and thereby explicate the essence of gerontological nursing practice.</b></p> <p>Gerontology nursing is troubled by its unpopular status and negative image that in turn has serious implications for the recruitment and retention of nurses who are both willing and able to work in this field of nursing. The purpose for doing this study was to unveil a deeper meaning and understanding of gerontology nursing, thus contributing to its value and worth as a speciality area of nursing.</p> <p>Conversations with four gerontology nurses were taped, transcribed and then analysed using van Manen’s (1990) approach to researching lived experience. From the analysis, four cardinal elements emerged: true acceptance, personal knowing, being present, and being alive. Those four cardinal elements were reworked and further analysed to reveal three central aspects or essences of gerontology nursing. These essences were the centrality of temporality, the interconnectedness of human relationships, and the significance of the lived body. Temporality is demonstrated by nursing application of objective, or clock time, as well as subjectively in regards to the lived time of the clients. Interconnectedness is the lived human relationship between nurse and client and is represented by commitment, presencing/giving of self, connecting, and knowing the client holistically. The third essence is corporeality, which is portrayed by the gerontology nurses’ distinguishing characteristics and their perception of the lived body of the nursed. The final analysis unveiled caring for the body, the act of seeing, and the joy of care as emergent essences of gerontology nursing. Language of nursing in relationship to ‘basic nursing care’ is critiqued for its potential to devalue gerontology nursing and, by association, old people.</p> <p>The significance of these findings is that there is more than meets the eye in gerontology nursing, however, it is not widely known. To balance the abundance of literature about the science of gerontology nursing practice more research needs to be focused on the art. Establishing and disseminating a clearer, complete picture of gerontology nursing would go toward not only changing its negative image, but may also address recruitment and retention issues. Furthermore, this study has highlighted the need to recruit nurses who possess the necessary personal attributes to ensure they ‘fit’ into gerontology nursing.</p>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anne Therese Schumacher

<p><b>The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the essence of gerontology nursing. This project sought to look beyond the practical tasks and skills of gerontology nursing to reveal what is more than meets the eye and thereby explicate the essence of gerontological nursing practice.</b></p> <p>Gerontology nursing is troubled by its unpopular status and negative image that in turn has serious implications for the recruitment and retention of nurses who are both willing and able to work in this field of nursing. The purpose for doing this study was to unveil a deeper meaning and understanding of gerontology nursing, thus contributing to its value and worth as a speciality area of nursing.</p> <p>Conversations with four gerontology nurses were taped, transcribed and then analysed using van Manen’s (1990) approach to researching lived experience. From the analysis, four cardinal elements emerged: true acceptance, personal knowing, being present, and being alive. Those four cardinal elements were reworked and further analysed to reveal three central aspects or essences of gerontology nursing. These essences were the centrality of temporality, the interconnectedness of human relationships, and the significance of the lived body. Temporality is demonstrated by nursing application of objective, or clock time, as well as subjectively in regards to the lived time of the clients. Interconnectedness is the lived human relationship between nurse and client and is represented by commitment, presencing/giving of self, connecting, and knowing the client holistically. The third essence is corporeality, which is portrayed by the gerontology nurses’ distinguishing characteristics and their perception of the lived body of the nursed. The final analysis unveiled caring for the body, the act of seeing, and the joy of care as emergent essences of gerontology nursing. Language of nursing in relationship to ‘basic nursing care’ is critiqued for its potential to devalue gerontology nursing and, by association, old people.</p> <p>The significance of these findings is that there is more than meets the eye in gerontology nursing, however, it is not widely known. To balance the abundance of literature about the science of gerontology nursing practice more research needs to be focused on the art. Establishing and disseminating a clearer, complete picture of gerontology nursing would go toward not only changing its negative image, but may also address recruitment and retention issues. Furthermore, this study has highlighted the need to recruit nurses who possess the necessary personal attributes to ensure they ‘fit’ into gerontology nursing.</p>


2015 ◽  
pp. 1259-1282
Author(s):  
Chris L. Yuen

This chapter examines the nature and characteristics of mathematics anxiety learning and provides instructional implications for highly mathematics-anxious learners, which are informed by lived experience. The discussion comes from research on the Mathematics Anxiety Learning Phenomenon (MALP), a hermeneutic phenomenological study using Wilber's Integral Model as the underpinning framework. Based on the lived experience data, hermeneutic themes were developed, and it is shown that those themes are capitalized upon in the flipped approach to foster a mathematics-anxious-friendly learning environment. Using the themes from the study, the chapter argues that the flipped approach could be beneficial to students who are highly mathematics-anxious. The system of linear equations with two variables, a common mathematics topic, is used to illustrate how the flipped approach to instructional design could recognize mathematics-anxious adult learners.


2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthea Wilson

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore insights based on the phenomenology of Martin Heidegger, on the dynamic relationships between human experience and work roles. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on the findings of a hermeneutic phenomenological study of nurse mentors, the topics of new roles and role challenges are explored, along with a consideration of their relevance to wider issues of workforce redesign. Heidegger’s philosophy of Dasein, in particular his concepts of inauthentic and authentic self, provided an interpretational lens. This paper applies these philosophical concepts to challenges associated with a changing workforce. Findings – Concepts elaborating human existence as proposed by Heidegger may offer analytic structures for understanding shifts in the lived experience of a changing workplace. In particular, the concepts could help managers to explore the implications of introducing novel work roles or extending roles. The understanding gained can also extend to situations where work practices may need to be challenged. Originality/value – As work roles and skill mix undergo rapid shifts, this paper offers an original way of understanding the experience of work roles.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. e037705
Author(s):  
Jill Konkin ◽  
Laura Grave ◽  
Ella Cockburn ◽  
Ian Couper ◽  
Ruth Alison Stewart ◽  
...  

ObjectivesRural doctors describe consistent pressure to provide extended care beyond the limits of their formal training in order to meet the needs of the patients and communities they serve. This study explored the lived experience of rural doctors when they practise outside their usual scope of practice to provide medical care for people who would otherwise not have access to essential clinical services.DesignA hermeneutic phenomenological study.SettingAn international rural medicine conference.ParticipantsAll doctors attending the conference who practised medicine in rural/remote areas in a predominantly English-speaking community were eligible to participate; 27 doctors were recruited.InterventionsSemi-structured interviews were conducted. The transcripts were initially read and analysed by individual researchers before they were read aloud to the group to explore meanings more fully. Two researchers then reviewed the transcripts to develop the results section which was then rechecked by the broader group.Primary outcome measureAn understanding of the lived experiences of clinical courage.ResultsParticipants provided in-depth descriptions of experiences we have termed clinical courage. This phenomenon included the following features: Standing up to serve anybody and everybody in the community; Accepting uncertainty and persistently seeking to prepare; Deliberately understanding and marshalling resources in the context; Humbly seeking to know one’s own limits; Clearing the cognitive hurdle when something needs to be done for your patient; Collegial support to stand up again.ConclusionThis study elucidated six features of the phenomenon of clinical courage through the narratives of the lived experience of rural generalist doctors.


2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 44-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dina C. Byers, ◽  
Nancey E.M. France,

The phenomenon of interest for this study was the registered nurse’s (RN’s) lived experience of caring for patients with dementia in the acute care setting. Watson’s theory of human science and human care and van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological approach were used to guide this study. The strategies used for the generation and analysis of data were tape-recorded open-ended interviews, field notes, and the researchers’ audio-taped journal. Upon saturation, two themes and a synthesis of unity emerged across all participants. The implications for practice were clearly communicated by the RNs in this study. Further research is recommended.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 350-361
Author(s):  
Deborah McManus

Purpose: To gain an understanding of how religious and spiritual practices might enable Catholic Sisters to age successfully. Design: A purposive sample of 12 retired Roman Catholic Sisters aged 75 years and older from two convent settings were interviewed. Method: Using a semistructured recorded interview, the Roman Catholic Sisters shared their lived experiences of aging, and practices of religion, spirituality, and meditation. Data analysis utilized thematic analysis of the interview texts. Findings: Thematic analysis identified the following themes: daily engagement in religious and spiritual practice and meditation; self-contentment and positivity regarding the meaning of successful aging; life acceptance; sense of faith and positivity regarding the afterlife; and intersection of meditation, prayer, spirituality, and cognitive engagement. Conclusion: This research contributes to the body of aging research and presents successful aging as understood and more specifically as experientially influenced. The findings of the study provided insight regarding the meaning and experience of successful aging, and the role of everyday religious and spiritual practices in the lives of the Catholic Sisters which influenced their individual life experiences as they age.


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