Forest Through The Trees: Nursing Science Quarterly 292252
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Practice Applications Since Aristotle, metaphor pervades everyday life. Metaphor is an illustration of speech when a word or phrase literally repre- sents an object or idea used in place of another. Metaphor goes beyond language, it embraces ideas and action. Metaphor may create clarity, explicating meaning in situation. Parse (2011) often uses metaphors in her work, most recently she used a metaphor with the humanbecoming school of thought (Parse, 1981, 1998) to illuminate leading-following.
The metaphor unable to see the forest through the trees is one this author uses to give clarity to nursing theory in prac- tice in light of the humanbecoming school of thought (Parse, 1981, 1998). Envisioning nursing as forest, one sees dense, lush greenery pushing upward in unison. Upon first glance one does not see a path into the forest but upon closer look, the forest seems inviting and one may view other dimensions. Therein lays a multitude of entry points. All the possibilities reveal themselves as one begins the journey moving with and connecting with the forest.
Each step moves one deeper into the forest as the forest itself comes alive. First traveling through an eerie quiescence to the trees and leaves blowing calmly in the breeze to the sounds revealed from the many forest creatures, concealing themselves as one comes near, cautiously moving as one turns and sees the many nuances a forest holds. As with the forest, nursing appears cohesive. Nurses have not addressed age-old issues such as role definition and entry into practice, yet rely on other disciplines to guide nursing practice. Some look from afar at the forest and use that vision to depict how nurses stand together.
Connecting with the for- est, one is enlightened by the subtleties of the many differ- ences. Journeying deeper into the forest one separates from the forest enlightened by those differences in the sounds, the trees, the leaves, noting one is still connected to the forest. Yet there is a fascination for what lies ahead. This is true with nursing theory. Theories abound from the many nurse theorists throughout history.
Assumptions, foundations, and underpinnings are often concealed, yet are waiting to be revealed. As nurses embrace nursing theory, they are able to hold all that is nursing in their hands, to glean with their eyes, and live the practice of nursing. Nurses live their value priorities. These value priorities are essential to being. Nursing theories that should unite nurses in the profession are slowly eroding away on the forest floor; in place of nurs- ing theories are theories borrowed from other disciplines.
This is reminiscent of the past. Nursing faculty discourse continues to bury the importance of nursing theory to prac- tice. Can this be interrupted as an attempt to rid nursing cur- riculum of nursing theory? Use of other disciplines’ theories actually eliminates nursing from nursing practice. For exam- ple, does business borrow from nursing theory?
No, yet nurs- ing borrows from business, by means of acuity systems and productivity numbers, to name a few. When applying business theory to nursing is healthcare enhanced? From the standpoint of business theory, is the work nurses do seen as nursing? As in coming to know the trees in the forest, the abstract- ness of nursing theory may be intimidating, creating cautious trepidation as nurses are compelled to shape their knowledge base. Thus coming to know and understand nursing theory as the foundation of practice is crucial in keeping the profession of nursing alive.
Instead of looking to other disciplines for guidance and allowing those disciplines to make decisions for nursing, nurse leaders must focus on nursing’s unique contri- bution and service to society. 429040 NSQXXX10.1177/Karni ck / Practice ApplicationsNursing Science Quarterly 1Assistant Professor, Lewis University Contributing Editor: Paula M. Karnick, RN, PhD, Assistant Professor, Lewis University, 5023 N. Busse, Chicago, Illinois, 60656 Email: [email protected] Seeing the Forest Through the Trees Paula M. Karnick, RN; PhD1 Abstract The purpose of this column is to stimulate discussion among nurses regarding the importance of nursing theory-guided practice.
The use of metaphor may shed light on defining nursing by its own terms. The time has come for nursing to recognize its worth as an autonomous discipline and own its contributions Keywords humanbecoming, metaphor, nursing theory-guided practice, Parse Karnick 35 Are you able to see the forest through the trees? Translating nursing theory into nursing practice lends itself to this met- aphor. Clarifying vital issues in nursing practice is seeing the forest through the trees. At first glance, the discipline stands together tightly like the trees in the forest.
As with the forest metaphor, trees connect and separate intricately shifting with the wind and rain, reflecting the idea of nursing theory intricately connecting and separating with nursing practice. Declaration of Conflicting Interests The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Funding The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. References Parse, R. R. (1981). Man-living-health: A theory of nursing. New York: Wiley. Parse, R. R. (1998). The human becoming school of thought: A perspective for nurses and other health professionals. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. Parse, R. R. (2011). Humanbecoming leading-following: The meaning of holding up the mirror. Nursing Science Quarterly, 24, .