Enacting nursing obligations: Public Health Nurses' theorizing in practice.
A recent study illustrated Public Health Nurses' theorizing of obligation within their everyday practice with high priority families. As a practical (and practice) activity this theorizing shaped and enhanced PHN practice in complex nursing situations and served to affect desired outcomes for families. Using a hermeneutic methodology, six features were identified as central to this practical theorizing process: (a) being in the complexity of families' lives, (b) responding to relational cues, (c) putting the primary investment in people and families, (d) working toward potential, (e) working the relational "in-betweens," and (f) reflexive inquiry. The findings have implications for understanding theory and theory development in everyday nursing practice.
Doane
Gweneth Hartrick
GH
School of Nursing, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. gdoane@uvic.ca
Browne
Annette J
AJ
Reimer
Joanne
J
MacLeod
Martha
M
McLellan
Edna
E
D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D005190:Family; D017144:Focus Groups; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D015399:Nursing Research; D009742:Nursing Theory; D011637:Public Health Nursing; D000078329:Workforce