In the case of a cup, you might consider a drinking glass. A concept such as mother, which can carry specific or highly complex meanings, changes in its level of abstraction, depending on the context of usage. Exemplar cases may be created from your own experience, or you may find cases in the literature that have been constructed or described by others. Existing theories provide a source of definitions that sometimes extend beyond the limits of common linguistic usage. Figure 7-3 illustrates this continuum. As the words acquire contextual and value meanings, they shift further toward the abstract. Empirical knowing encourages nurses to use fact-based approaches to address patient needs. Creating conceptual meaning is a theory-building approach that depends on mental thought processes. Your exemplar case develops until there is enough substance that people respond to the case by forming a mental image of mothering. This type of measurement depends on more complex and less direct forms of instrumentation. A saucer or a spoon can be presented, and most observers in Western cultures would agree that these things are not cups. Trying out alternative words becomes part of the process itself. Empirical Knowledge Generally referred to as the “science of nursing,” empirical knowledge represents the scientific essentials of nursing. For more concrete concepts, contrary cases are relatively easy. On other occasions, visual imagery may raise questions about the essential nature of the phenomena that are important to the refinement of criteria. Later, when you consider miniature teacups as cases, you might decide that volume is not an essential quality, especially if your other criteria are sufficient to distinguish which objects can be considered cups, which is your purpose. The questions can also be asked of the formal expressions of empirics apart from the immediate practice situation. Red as a word and as a color has become, in Western culture, a metaphoric symbol for communism, violence, passion, and anger. Morse (1995) described methods of concept development and analysis that draw on qualitative and quantitative research approaches to validate meanings that are projected by analytic processes. By comparing the differences between exemplar and contrary cases, you will begin to revise, add to, or delete from the tentative criteria that are emerging. Still others think of theory as philosophically based sets of beliefs and values about human nature and action. What behavioral responses do you now expect? Freud’s concept of ego is an example. For example, if you are defining the word self-esteem for a research study, your definition might include the foundational meanings that are consistent with the tool that you are using to measure self-esteem. It often is helpful when choosing a concept to place it within the context of use to narrow its scope in relation to your purpose. Often, visual imagery will highlight some aspect of the concept that is significant. Theory is grounded in assumptions, value choices, and the creative and imaginative judgment of the theorist. For example, the concepts of anxiety and pain are typically measured by self-report rating scales. It may be useful to seek others’ opinions about the meaning of a concept, particularly if your direct experience with the concept is limited. Review “Broad in scope but comprehensive in detail, this book will benefit nursing students, researchers and clinicians. (1978). An Empirical Framework for Nursing Practice. A. Visual images that represent concepts very well also highlight difficulties with expressing meaning linguistically. In the absence of any evidence one way or the other, you might tentatively decide that the idea of mothering that you are creating will be deliberately limited to instances that involve women. In our view, theoretic statements are tentative and open to revision as new evidence and insights emerge. It often is useful to alternatively include and exclude various features of exemplar cases to reflect on how central each feature is to the meaning you are creating. Conceptual models, theories, and empirical indicators are linked and provide a nursing knowledge system to apply the model or theory to nursing practice, research, and education. Consider, for example, the concept of mouse. Empirical knowledge is … Regardless of the format used for presentation, the case is selected because it represents the concept to the best of your present understanding. This is an example of how aesthetic expressions of concepts contribute to empiric knowledge. In addition, your definitions must be consistent with common threads of meaning that are generally accepted within the discipline and grounded in a logical rationale that is coherent to other members of the discipline. However, as nursing is primarily a practice discipline, the transition from empirical and syllogistic reasoning is problematic. In this case, your concern is to create definitions that differentiate on the basis of a thorough familiarity with the meanings that are possible. The criteria are designed to make it possible to recognize the concept when it occurs and to differentiate this concept from related concepts. In doing so, this text engages readers with the art of progressive empirical client-centred care, appropriate for the development of 21st century holistic nursing practice. The term empiric has a number of different meanings. of treatment (i.e., their role), whereas clinical pharmacists might create criteria that would assist drug manufacturers with formulating pharmaceuticals that are more effective for alleviating fatigue. The concepts contained within the theory must be defined, and they must have a logical relationship with one another to form a coherent structure or pattern. They are empiric because they are formed from perceptual encounters with the world as it is experienced, but they are abstract because they are mental images of that experience. This literature often provides meanings that are pertinent to the practice of nursing. The fact is that any color combination or any number of coins up to 100 may be used as criteria. A form of disciplined inquiry that discerns the nature of the world and of knowledge and knowing and that involves ways of discerning reality and principles of value. Read the subheadings within the article, book, or report and look for a description of the research methodology. Sometimes you can locate a contrary case in the literature. Feelings, values, and attitudes are inner processes that are associated with experiences and words. As nurses engage in processes for creating conceptual meaning, a more adequate language for nursing phenomena will be created. Conceptual meaning is created by considering all three sources of experiences related to the concept: the word, the thing itself, and the associated feelings (see Figure 7-2). An exemplar case might involve the use of three quarters, one dime, two nickels, and five pennies. Summarize the main points of Jean Watson’s theory of human caring, including the 10 carative factors. Our definition is grounded in the philosophic meaning of the term: knowledge that is grounded in perceptual experience. Paradoxic cases are variants of borderline cases that are useful to highlight the central meanings of concepts. The definitions of related terms may not be universally accepted, but we believe that they are reasonable and that they reflect common meanings. A borderline case is usually an instance of metaphoric or pseudo applications of the word. Figure 7-1 shows the empiric quadrant of our model for nursing knowledge development. St. Louis, MI: Elsevier. Constructs are the most complex type of concept on the empiric–abstract continuum. When you consider your exemplar case being placed in several different social contexts, you create an avenue for perceiving important values and making deliberate choices about them. In this definition, the purpose for which a theory is created is emphasized. Because the experience is not adequately expressed in common language, words may seem quite inadequate at first. that the hypotheses are tested and confirmed with the use of methods of scientific-empiric research to generate theory. Another approach is to provide guidelines that enable the individual to recognize and compose the various combinations independently. How the cases are classified is not critical. Although theory and other common forms of empiric knowledge (e.g., models, frameworks, descriptions) incorporate and depend on highly empiric facts, nursing theory does not generally reflect factually based concepts. Most people agree that humans require “good” mothering to grow and develop adequately. This knowledge may be applied through evidence based practices (EBP). Your exemplar case is itself a full expression of conceptual meaning, but the criteria make explicit the features and characteristics of the exemplar case that represent your conceptual meaning. The popular current literature is also a source of valuable data about conceptual meaning. Fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing. Such a case is paradoxic in that it violates some criteria for dignity but highlights the importance of a central criterion for discerning the concept. However, it does mean that the definition is open and can be changed as new insights and understandings come to light. A borderline case is found when the same word is used in a different context. Creating conceptual meaning is also a valuable process for learning critical thinking skills (Kramer, 1993). Worried about applying for a new job in the cannabis industry? All of these features may be used, but the criteria should convey as simply as possible the information that is needed by a novice to collect one U.S. dollar in coins. For the concept of restlessness, calmness could be presented as a contrary case. The sources that you choose and the extent to which you use various sources depend on your purposes. The ways of knowing allow us to understand ourselves and nursing practice at a much deeper level; to appreciate nursing as both an art and a science. Can you relate how study findings have changed your nursing practice? The word ego once had no common meaning outside of Freud’s theory, but today, with gradual changes in its meaning and broad usage outside of the theory, almost everyone who speaks American English and many other English speakers around the world know the meaning of the phrase a big ego. Understanding knowledge for nursing practice as something more inclusive and broader than empirics is, in our view, critical for a practice discipline. From a philosophic perspective, empiric refers to that which is accessible to sensory perception, either directly or indirectly. For example, when exploring the meaning of dignity, you might create a case in which actions that violate dignity occur to preserve a central feature of dignity. Watson also emphasizes creativity. At first, this device was thought to be optional and mainly useful for the playing of games. An example would be a concept that represents a human response to health or illness, such as fatigue. Many such measurements depend on scales that rely on self-report. Whether you personally create and examine an image or ask others to create images, the idea is to compare them for similarities and differences. The process of creating conceptual meaning makes it possible to expand what we understand about a phenomenon that goes beyond the simple definition of its word symbol and our unique perception of its meaning. For example, the words luxury car, Model T, and hot wheels all refer to one basic thing: an automobile. 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