Written Responses to Questions 1
Elizabeth Via
Eastern Mennonite University
Nursing Theory and Advanced Practice
Nursing 502-D03 LUO
Dr. Linda Miller
October 26, 2014
Written Responses to Questions 1
Written Responses to Questions 1:

Based on your readings from McEwen & Wills chapters 1–2, respond to the questions below:
1. Is nursing a science or an art, or both? Explain your answer.

Based on my understanding of the reading assignment I would conclude that nursing is both a science and an art. In the case study presented in the text it has clearly outlined the interactions that most nurses have with their patients on any given day. In all of the daily interactions I have with patients I consider the patient as a whole, which means that I must have an understanding of the patient that includes physiological, psychological and sociological needs of the patient. I must use all of my senses to understand and gather by assessment the needs of the patient. I incorporate all aspects of the patient’s family needs and the patient needs to promote the best outcome for the patient. Science certainly plays a large role in my interaction with the patient because it is the basis for medical care of the patient. (McEwen & Wills, 2014)

2. In your own words, define the following terms. Use your text and other sources:

Ontology- the study of how things actually are. (McEwen & Wills, 2014)
Extant- to continue to be around. ("Vocabulary.com," n.d.)
Epistemology-the study of human knowledge and the justified belief that comes from that knowledge. (McEwen & Wills, 2014)
Empiricism- Understanding everything about something and explaining it by using theory. (McEwen & Wills, 2014)
Logical positivism-validation of reasoning by using experimental verification and must be based in science. (McEwen & Wills, 2014)
Post-positivism -analyses within a realm of artificial ideals that does not leave room for what really happens outside of that ideal; information, which could be, derived only from the researchers values. (McEwen & Wills, 2014)
Received view- the view of learned information gathered by gaining knowledge from others. (McEwen & Wills, 2014)
Perceived view- the view of the person who has lived the experience, ones own interpretation of what really is. (McEwen & Wills, 2014)
Paradigm- a organized range of work to be completed to explain concepts, theories, principles and values of a specific discipline. (McEwen & Wills, 2014)

3. The metaparadigm of nursing generally is defined by the following 4 concepts: person, environment, health, and nursing. Do you agree with this global representation of nursing? Why or Why not? Would you add any other components or sub-components?

I would agree that the metaparadigm of nursing is a global representation of nursing as a whole. Person can be “defined as the individual, family or community who receives care. The environment would be the setting that the person lives, works and exists in.