Personal knowing is an essential aspect of nursing practice. It involves acquiring a sense of self-awareness, which enables a nurse to understand their beliefs, values, and biases. Therefore, personal knowledge prepares the nurse to extend quality care to their patients. However, while personal knowledge is vital to nursing, it is often neglected or underrated. This article seeks to highlight the importance of personal knowing in nursing practice.
Firstly, personal knowing equips the nurse with the requisite self-awareness needed to understand their patients better. By being aware of their biases and beliefs, they can recognize how it influences their response to a patient’s needs. For example, a nurse may have a diet preference for his patients and may struggle in providing alternative diets. But with self-awareness, the nurse can acknowledge their preferences and reflect on their approach.
Secondly, personal knowing brings about therapeutic communication, which is essential to nursing practice. It is important to note that communication plays a vital role in the delivery of quality care. Personal knowing, in this case, helps the nurse to establish trust and build a therapeutic relationship with their patient. Through self-awareness, the nurse can recognize their emotions, ensuring that they do not project their biases onto their patients.
Thirdly, personal knowing enables the nurse to provide patient-centered care. Patient-centered care seeks to understand the patient’s values, beliefs, and preferences and incorporates these into the plan of care. The nurse must recognize the patient’s unique qualities, including their culture, language, education, and lifestyle, while providing care.
In conclusion, personal knowing is essential to nursing practice. It involves acquiring self-awareness and understanding one’s beliefs, values, and biases, which prepares the nurse to provide patient-centered care effectively. Moreover, it enhances therapeutic communication between the nurse and the patient. Therefore, it is imperative to recognize the importance of personal knowing in nursing education and practice. It is time to start giving it the recognition it deserves!
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