Learning to Observe

Abstract

"Nursing is a process that is theoretically grounded in practice. That is, nursing knowledge is generated from experience with patients" (Hooton, 1975). Given this philosophy of nursing, the learning of nursing must have as its focus the student and her experiences with patients. An exploration and analysis of these experiences will reveal the content of nursing for the learner. Although the type of experience provided is important, it is particularly crucial for the teacher to attend to how the student learns. (Bruner, 1960). "The emphasis is on the way the student learns rather than on the nursing skills she acquires" (Riley, 1972). The patient is the prime source of data for this approach to nursing and for the learning of nursing. The plan of care evolves from the data gathered in the patient situation and the effectiveness of this plan is measured in terms of the patient's response. Observation is a primary skill in nursing and is an important and valuable method of study. The learner builds up a comprehensive health assessment after reconstruction of the patient and his/her situation based upon many sorts of observations and sometimes from a compilation of many small cues. With skill and purposeful effort applied to this process of observation, the student can learn to identify nursing outcomes that are more consistently valid and meaningful. Observation, always a part of the nursing process, needs to come under more conscious control of the learner. In order to learn to use the patient as a prime source of data, the student must develop her observational skills.