Editor's
Note
Charting
new waters
Let
research and intuition act as your guides to discovery in
patient care
Joellen Koerner,
Ph.D., MSN, RN
Midwest Edition Editor
March
12 , 2001
Many
of us encounter mixed reaction with mention of the 'R' word-research.
Some, like the fine clinical scholars featured in this issue
of NurseWeek, find the process of scientific inquiry a joy
and challenge that comprises the essence of their nursing
career.
Some
of us who have survived the rigors of writing and defending
a thesis or dissertation tremble at the mere thought of
repeating the process. We are grateful for the folks who
take up the research mantle and give evidence-based solutions
that guide our work in other dimensions of nursing practice.
Most of us think in either/or categories; we either are
or are not researchers. But, in truth, each of us performs
research activities every day.
How
did you choose the neighborhood you live in, the car you
drive, your place of employment? Most likely you identified
your interests and desires, searched for information that
helped you find a solution to your quest and made a decision
that led to action.
Beginning
in childhood, with a bit of help from family and friends,
we learn how to test and experiment until we find what works
best. Across the life span, all that learning leads to a
well-developed intuition and inner wisdom that guides our
actions each day.
While
scientific inquiry is important in a science-based practice
such as nursing, practical science has its own power. Every
nursing practice has its informal leaders. What makes them
so influential? They are the ones who just "know"
what to look for and how to achieve the desired outcome.
How did they acquire that skill?
Pat
Benner, author of Novice to Expert, talks about the "clustering
phenomenon." Her research showed that it takes about
three years of exposure to a variety of clinical situations
for a nurse to develop the intuitive capacity that helps
him or her sort through the sea of data identified in an
assessment to process it quickly and appropriately.
The
difference between a novice and an expert lies in the concept
of subtlety. Anyone can note a code situation when the patient
is not breathing. The expert nurse is the one who says,
"All vital signs are normal, but something is not right;
the pattern of the whole does not track."
When
we work in the subtle realm we need less data and the ability
to see more. Our "gut" reaction-the home of intuition-precedes
cognitive reasoning. Combining intuition and reasoning creates
a point of efficiency for the practitioner and early intervention
for the patient.
Research
and inquiry occur at all levels of nursing. Beginning practitioners
can connect with the informal leaders on the unit. Discuss
patient situations, process various intervention strategies
and learn to decipher the subtle messages in patient symptoms
and comments. Accomplished clinical scholars can seek out
new nurses to support and enrich their quest for information
and clinical excellence. They can help guide and coach the
new nurses when they encounter uncharted territory.
As a
discipline, let's continue to collectively study and test
the work of accomplished researchers and attend professional
meetings to exchange stories and experiments. Share new
and exciting insights with the rest of the field by writing
for publications. After all, the literature helped you get
through nursing school … you owe the field one wonderful
original thought of your own. The "R" word is
everyone's business.
I have
the evidence to prove it!
