Theories That Define Nursing or Discuss Nursing in a General Sense: Philosophies

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1 & Theories That Define Nursing or Discuss Nursing in a General Sense: Philosophies PART rning, 1I Irmairma/Shutterstock ma/shutt..

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3 & Irmairma/Shutterstock Using the Art of Georges Seurat to Envision Philosophies CHAPTER 5 The work of some nurse theorists may be classified as philosophies. Nursing theories that are classified as philosophies in this text are those created by Nightingale, Henderson, Wiedenbach, and Watson. 25 Philosophies about nursing in general seek to define and document what nursing is. A philosophy is a system of beliefs regarding the general nature of all things, particularly morality, ethics, and how the world should be viewed. Nursing philosophies address the question How does nursing fit into the universe? Nursing practice consists of many realms of activity, so philosophies of nursing in general have multiple components that are meant to categorize and clarify Bartlett the scope and depth of professional activities Jones a personal & Bartlett and also a global SALE OR level. DISTRIBUTION The term professional activities may include NOT tasks FOR and technical SALE skills, OR DISTRIBUTION moral/ ethical behaviors, personal growth and development, personal knowledge, and professional aesthetic expression (Chinn & Kramer, 1999). Philosophies, therefore, are broad and multidimensional, encompassing both science and art. Envision the paintings of postimpressionist painter Georges Seurat ( ) when exploring theories that seek to define nursing in general. Seurat perfected a painting technique called pointillism to create vibrant Jones depictions & Bartlett of everyday life in nineteenth-century France. Jones Pointillism & Bartlett is NOT a FOR technique SALE in OR which DISTRIBUTION tiny points, or dots, of pure color are NOT painstakingly FOR..

4 & 26 Chapter 5 Using the Art of Georges Seurat to Envision Philosophies applied to a canvas. The human eye actively mixes the colors when viewing the work from a distance of a few feet away or more, thus creating innumerable shades, hues, and depths in the mind s eye. When viewed up close, it is clear that Seurat s works are made up of individual dots, or points, of color. There is beauty in the close-up view because of the brilliance and contrast of each individual dot in relation to the other dots. The play of light on the dots creates the effect of many different shades (see Color Plate 1 in the color insert). Perceptions of Seurat s work vary widely among individual viewers and are unique to each person because each mind s eye processes the visual input a little differently, especially from Jones a close-up & Bartlett view when only dots of color are perceived. Commonalities NOT of perception FOR SALE become OR most DISTRIBUTION evident when Seurat s paintings are viewed from far away, when the dots merge into a colorful picture of people, places, and activities. When viewed from a distance, most observers agree that the painting entitled A Sunday on La Grande Jatte depicts people out Jones for a stroll & Bartlett in the park (see Color Plate 2 in the color insert). In Seurat s works, there is unity and form and, at the same time, a subtle awareness of the interplay between the individual points of color and the larger composition. The color tones may evoke happy, sad, festive, calm, Jones & Bartlett pensive, or other moods. Bathers at Asnières, created Jones by Seurat & Bartlett in 1884, evokes NOT FOR SALE OR calmness DISTRIBUTION and a feeling of contented leisure. NOT The brightness FOR SALE and OR use DISTRIBUTION of color convey afternoon warmth (see Color Plate 3 in the color insert). Seurat s paintings are finite works, with specific themes and bounded visual representations. However, Jones the many & Bartlett points of color within each work seem to merge with the light NOT and FOR color SALE in the OR surrounding DISTRIBUTION environment to create a feeling of boundlessness. Theories that explore or describe the phenomenon of nursing in general Jones are similar & Bartlett to Seurat s paintings because each theory is made Jones of distinct & Bartlett Lea NOT points FOR meant SALE to OR be mixed DISTRIBUTION by the mind s eye so that the viewer NOT may FOR form SALE an OR D impression of nursing as a whole. Most nurses are able to agree on the general concepts presented in theories or descriptions regarding nursing in general, much like those who agree that A Sunday on La Grande Jatte depicts people out for a Sunday stroll at the park...

5 & When assessing the many discrete components that make up a general nursing theory or description, individual nurses may have very different impressions about specific meanings because of the unique ways in which the mind processes bits of information, much like differing perceptions of up-close viewers of Seurat s works, wherein the dots of color are processed differently by each person s mind s eye. Often, disagreements among nurses regarding the content or applicability of a general theory arise from the close-up rather than the faraway view. Theories meant to describe or define nursing in a general sense also convey boundlessness, much like the boundlessness evident in Seurat s Bartlett paintings, in which the light and color in the Jones painting & seem Bartlett to merge with SALE OR light DISTRIBUTION and color outside the bounds of the NOT canvas. FOR Similarly, SALE OR in studying DISTRIBUTION general or descriptive theories, one tends to merge personal nursing experiences into the structure of the theory in an attempt to find resonance and meaning, thereby expanding the bounds of the theory into real-life practice. When reading Jones about theories & Bartlett meant to describe nursing in a general sense, assess the NOT information FOR SALE contained OR in DISTRIBUTION each theory or description from two different vantage points: Close-up: What dots of color (ideas) are contained in this theory or Jones & description? Bartlett List the individual ideas (dots of color) that Jones make up & the NOT FOR complete SALE OR picture. DISTRIBUTION From a distance: What is the overall composition of this work? What is the picture, or central idea, that best exemplifies the theory in general? Describe, draw, or obtain a visual representation of it. Learning Activities Learning Activities 27 Follow steps Jones through & Bartlett six to create your own visual images using pointil-lism (use Color NOT Plate FOR 1 in SALE the color OR insert DISTRIBUTION as a guide): NOT FOR SALE OR Jones & Bartlett Lea D 1. Gather painting supplies, including watercolor or cardstock-weight paper, acrylic or watercolor paints, and cotton-tipped swabs. 2. Using a pencil, lightly outline simple shapes or other forms on the paper...

6 & 28 Chapter 5 Using the Art of Georges Seurat to Envision Philosophies 3. Using cotton-tipped swabs, dab different colors of paint within and around the shapes previously outlined. Fill each shape with two or three different colors of dots. 4. Experiment with different colors by choosing one or two colors that will appear, or repeat, throughout the picture. Dab several dots of unique color along with several dots of your chosen repeating color(s) inside the drawn shapes until each shape is filled with colors. Keep dabbing until all of the different shapes (and most of the other spaces on the paper) are filled with color. 5. Look at the finished work close-up. Notice how easy it is to differentiate the various dots of color and how challenging it is to discern those basic shapes that were drawn Jones on & the Bartlett paper earlier and each filled with specific combinations NOT of colors. FOR 6. Now look at the finished work from at least 30 feet away. Notice how it becomes difficult to distinguish individual colors and it becomes easier to distinguish those larger basic shapes that were penciled in Jones & at Bartlett the beginning and then filled with specific combinations Jones of colors. & Bartlett Lea NOT FOR (Nursing SALE philosophies OR DISTRIBUTION are a lot like this. Under close scrutiny, NOT FOR they SALE OR DI tend to look like a composition made up of unrelated points with little rhyme or reason; however, when viewed more generally, or from far away, it is easier to discern the gist of the philosophy.) Reference Chinn, P. L., & Kramer, M. K. (1999). Theory and nursing: Integrated knowledge development. St. Louis, MO: Mosby...

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