A Central Unifying Focus of the Discipline

Notable works

Contributor: Tim Sowicz, Ph.D., RN

Willis, D. G., Grace, P. J., & Roy, C. (2008). A central unifying focus for the discipline: Facilitating humanization, meaning, choice, quality of life, and healing in living and dying. Advances in Nursing Science, 31(1), E28-E40. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ans.0000311534.04059.d9

Drs. Fawcett and Chinn (2019) describe nursology as “distinct and autonomous [from other disciplines] because of particular perspectives [bold added for emphasis] arising from the experience of caring for those who are sick or injured, and from the experience of promoting health and wellbeing for individuals, families, communities and the environments in which they reside.” I agree that practicing as a nurse informs, and even transforms, nurses’ perspectives about themselves professionally and their work over time. What else shapes our personal perspectives about our professional and disciplinary selves? Experience as a student might; e.g., interacting with classmates, faculty, and other nurses. Additionally, learning about and using nursing knowledge like philosophies, conceptual models, and theories likely influences our perspectives (Fawcett & DeDanto-Madeya, 2013). There are several definitions of “nurses” and “nursing” that, too, affect nurses’ perspectives about their identities and work. Professional bodies like the American Nurses Association and the International Council of Nurses have such definitions, and Dr. Smith’s December 20, 2022 post for this blog about another notable work, highlights an important an frequently cited definition of our discipline.

My perspective about nursology is shaped by more than twenty years of practice as an RN and family health NP, and most recently as a faculty member who conducts research (sometimes with nurses as participants) and teaches. I have also been a patient, the beneficiary of nurses’ services. However, the central unifying focus for the discipline resonates for me more than any of these (Willis et al. 2008). I do not remember the first time I read it, but I think it was some time after graduating with my Ph.D. Since then, I have read it many times and shared it with students and colleagues. I have enthusiastically followed the writings about “nursing science” from notable nursologists, and when I question myself about whether or not the research I undertake actually advances nursology, the central unifying focus serves as my reference point.

As with other posts about “notable works” related to knowledge development within nursology, my purpose is to summarize this paper. I hope that nursologists will [re-]read it and discuss it. Willis et al. (2008) offer that the central unifying focus for the discipline is “facilitating humanization, meaning, choice, quality of life, and healing in living and dying” (pp. E32-E33). A central unifying focus is “a clarifying statement…[about the] essence or essential nature of the discipline,” and is not a metaparadigm, conceptual model, or theory. In addition to what it is and what it is not, the authors describe why a central unifying focus is needed, what it allows for, and what it does. The authors argue that it is needed to “(a) ensure that the goals of human good/human flourishing remain the focus of activity and (b) resist subversion to interests that are not conducive to nursing practice “ (Willis et al., 2008, p. E31). Ultimately, it is who nurses are and what we do, and is a means for communicating this to others.

The central unifying focus was created through dialogue among four scholars and a review of the literature, and the paper includes the authors’ assumptions about a central unifying focus, nursing, knowledge development, practice, the relationship between human beings and the natural world, and health and healing. These assumptions include, “essential themes from nursing knowledge development over the ages are discernible and provide a central unifying focus for the discipline,” “nursing practice (action) and nursing knowledge are interrelated,” and “human beings are unitary with the natural world” (Willis et al., p. E29). Each of the major concepts within the central unifying focus are defined and their connections to one another explained. The authors conclude the paper by offering ways in which the central unifying focus can be used for purposes related to education, research, and teaching; e.g., concepts from the central unifying focus can be used to develop related research questions.

There are a few papers that I return to time and again, and this is one of them. I revisit it because the authors put to paper the words which sum up how I think about myself as a nurse. It is a reminder to us and others who question the value or distinctiveness of our work!

References

Fawcett, J., & Chinn, P. (2019, February 23). About. Donate-support the Nursology.net website! Nursology.net. https://nursology.net/about/

Fawcett, J., & DeSanto-Madeya, S. ( 2013). Contemporary nursing knowledge: Analysis and evaluation of nursing models and theories (3rd ed.). F. A. Davis.

Smith, M. (2022, December 20). The focus of the discipline of nursinAbout g. Nursology.net. https://nursology.net/2022/12/20/the-focus-of-the-discipline-of-nursing/

About Tim Sowicz

Tim Sowicz is an Assistant Professor at The University of Arizona College of Nursing. He identifies as a cis-gendered, middle-age, white, gay man. These characteristics and his work as an RN, NP, and faculty member shape his views related to this post.