AN EXPLORATION OF SYNCHRONY IN NURSING.
Contributors: University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
Published: 1992
Number of pages: 236
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Mental Health.; Psychology, General.
Description: Synchrony is the inherent harmony of all connections in the universe (Jung, 1973). Theorists, researchers, and practitioners across disciplines have linked health with synchrony (Capra, 1982; Dossey, 1989a; Jung, 1973). Nurse theorists and practitioners have identified synchrony as an important aspect of nursing (Newman, 1986; Parse, 1987; Rogers, 1970). It has been proposed that movement toward synchrony increases experiences of synchronistic events, coincidence of two apparently causally unrelated events that have meaning for the individual experiencing the coincidence (Bolen, 1979; Holder, 1988; Jung, 1973).

This was an exploratory, research design based on the cooperative inquiry method (Reason & Rowan, 1981). This investigation focused on nurse experts' descriptions of synchrony in their nursing practice. Nurse experts were defined according to Benner (1984). Cues demonstrating client synchrony to nurses, descriptions of facilitation of client synchrony, synchronistic events, synchrony of the nurse as related to client synchrony, and the significance of meeting between nurse and client were examined.

Nurse experts responded congruently and enthusiastically to the concept of synchrony, even though they had not related the term to their nursing practice prior to this study. Participants believed the concept of synchrony captured part of the intangible but essential contributions of their nursing practice.

Nurse experts identified tangible and intangible cues that indicated alterations in synchrony. The participants also articulated the facilitation of synchrony in terms of the context of connection with clients. Interventions that comprised the facilitation of synchrony was conceptualized as nurses as synchroscopes.

Participants agreed that the facilitation of synchrony increased access to important "knowing" about their clients through synchronistic events. Moving in synchrony with a client, was then conceptualized as a way of knowing, giving nurses increased access to important information about their clients.

Although nurse experts identified the facilitation of synchrony as an extremely valuable component of their practice, they did not document this part of their practice, and they generally did not share it with others. The implications of silent voices and bringing these voices to light were discussed. The description of nurse experts was also expanded given the results of this study.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-05, Section: B, page: 2247.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - MILWAUKEE, 1992.

School code: 0263.