Patterns of knowing required for critical care nursing practice in Malawi

Abstract

BackgroundPatterns of knowing in nursing are the epistemological foundation of the discipline and are necessary for achieving nursing competence. Although knowing in nursing has received critical attention in developed countries, the notion has not been explored in developing countries like Malawi where the context is different to that studied by other researchers. The aim of the study reported in this paper was to identify nurses’ perceived ways of knowing and their learning needs in the critical care environment. The study was part of a larger body of research on the planning, development and evaluation of a training programme for critical care nurses in Malawi. MethodsThorne’s interpretive descriptive design was used to analyse the qualitative data collected using two focus groups with nurses (n = 13), and one-on-one interviews with nurse leaders (n = 8) and anaesthetists (n = 2) in critical care units (CCU) at two tertiary hospitals in Malawi. ResultsThe dimensions of knowing which are expected to be demonstrated by an effective nurse are theoretical knowing, practical knowing, managerial knowing, ethical and professional knowing, and ability to interpret and act. Critical care nurses who demonstrate these dimensions of knowing are confident with delivering the required standard of care for critically ill patients and in managing the complexities of working in the critical care units. ConclusionThe findings illustrate the need to be cognizant of patterns of knowing in resource limited settings and the importance of incorporating these into the development of training programmes.