The meaning of health in the nurse's practice
Date
1993
Authors
Hormes, Renate Elizabeth
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Abstract
What is the meaning of health from the nurse's perspective? This question provided the focus for an interpretive study with four registered nurses. The aim of the study was to contribute to the understanding of health by approaching it from the perspective of the nurse.
Hermeneutic methodology was used for the study as it approaches the task of understanding and the methodology necessary to interpret a text. The study included in-depth interviews and journal entries which were approached with the central question: "What are the experiences which shaped your understanding and meaning of health?" In keeping with the hermeneutic approach, the stories were carefully explored and statements were noted for their descriptions of health. Meanings were identified, developed and supported by excerpts from the text of the narratives.
For the nurses in this study the following aspects of health are considered in their meaning of health. Specifically; connecting. hope, peace, and empowerment were themes which were brought forward as key to their understanding of the concept. The nurses also described the following qualities of health: the presence of health within illness, the time-less quality of health, and the holistic aspect of health. The nurses defined their understanding of health through their personal experiences and their client's experiences with health.
Implications this study has for nursing and recommendations for research are suggested. The impact of this type of interpretive methodology upon nursing education and nursing practice is considered. The contribution of this study in nursing includes the call for greater involvement of nursing practice in t he development of nursing theory. The thoughtful approach necessary to develop a greater understanding of the meaning of health suggests nurses in practice can play a large role in defining our vision of health.