title: A pragmatist approach to the hope discourse in health care research.
abstract: Hope is a central concept in nursing and other fields of health care. However, there is no consensus about the concept of hope. We argue that seeking consensus is futile given the multifaceted and multidimensional nature of the concept, but instead we encourage in-depth studies of the assumptions behind talk about hope in specific contexts. Our approach to the 'science of hope' is inspired by philosophical pragmatism. We argue that hope is a concept that opens different rooms for action in different contexts and that accordingly, all hope interventions are contextually sensitive. Careful attention to how the relative positions and power of nurses and patients influence what can be inferred from their different ways of talking about hope may make hopeful conversations more meaningful in health care relationships.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Buskerud University College, Drammen, Buskerud County, Norway.
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Herrestad
authors.forename: Stian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biong
authors.forename: Brendan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McCormack
authors.forename: Marit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borg
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karlsson
mesh_terms: D003419:Crisis Intervention; D005196:Family Therapy; D005851:Geriatric Nursing; D006302:Health Services Research; D065026:Hope; D006801:Humans; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000451:nursing; D013405:Suicide; D013727:Terminal Care
keywords: care of older people; crisis resolution; end-of-life care; hope; mental health care; philosophical pragmatism; substance abuse recovery