Page 224 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

FOrMAL NurSING LANGuAGES n 191

nature. Fitzpatrick postulated the dynamic within some larger rhythmic pattern. Shiao
concepts of congruency, consistency, and (1993) studied perceptual patterns of low–
integrity as complementary with rhythmic birth weight infants in neonatal intensive F
patterns. Fitzpatrick stated that health is a care in relation to care interrupting breath-
basic human dimension undergoing contin- ing, oxygen saturation, and feeding rhythms.
uous development. She offered heightened Several qualitative researchers have used
awareness of the meaningfulness of life as Fitzpatrick’s model, particularly in phenome-
an example of a more fully developed phase nological studies in which participants’ expe-
of human health. Nursing interventions were riences were examined (see, e.g., Chiu, 1999;
interpreted as facilitating the developmental Cowan, 1995; Criddle, 1993; Montgomery,
process toward health so that individuals 2000; Moore, 1997).
might develop their human potential. The Fitzpatrick (2008a, 2008b) describes
meaningfulness of life is manifest through meaningfulness in life as more focused on
a series of life crisis experiences with poten- a present orientation. Thus, interventions
tial for growth in one’s meaning for living. focused on present life experiences can be
According to Fitzpatrick, nursing’s central expected to enhance higher levels of health
concern is focused on the person in relation and wellness. Fitzpatrick’s rhythm model
to the dimension of meaning within health. has the potential for inclusion in nursing
Fitzpatrick’s (1989) conceptualizations research involving body rhythms; various
have been studied by graduate students in aspect(s) of temporal, motion, consciousness,
nursing at master’s and doctoral levels. Studies and perceptual patterns could be studied
of temporality among adult and elderly pop- as part of coping with life events. Also, pro-
ulations, psychiatric clients, pregnant adoles- grams of research could be developed that
cents, and terminally ill individuals provide relate the four patterns to well-being across
a base for the existence of temporal patterns. the life span.
Both younger and elderly groups have been
addressed in investigating motion (roberts Jana L. Pressler
& Fitzpatrick, 1983). Patterns of conscious- Kristen S. Montgomery
ness have been examined exclusively in older
age groups (Floyd, 1982). different types of
perceptual patterns, for example, percep-
tions of color and music, have been investi-
gated. Empirical support for the existence of Formal nursing languages
nonlinear temporal patterns emerged from a
number of research endeavors and helped to
identify the need to generate questions about The National Institute of Nursing research
ways to measure the experience of time. A Priority Expert Panel on Nursing Informatics
sense of timelessness was described as being (1993) defined nursing language as
characteristic of behaviors identified among
the dying. Thompson and Fitzpatrick (2008) . . . the universe of written terms and their defi-
found that temporal orientation in a small, nition comprising nomenclature or thesauri that
low-income, older adult sample was weighted are used for purposes such as indexing, sorting,
more toward nonfuture dominance and non- retrieving, and classifying varied nursing data in
clinical records, in information systems (for care
temporal relatedness. documentation and/or management), and in lit-
Pressler, Wells, and Hepworth (1993) erature and research reports . . . . determining the
investigated methodological issues relevant way that nursing data are represented in auto-
to very preterm infant outcomes based on mated systems is tantamount in defining a lan-
the idea of the existence of microrhythms guage for nursing. (p. 31)