Hermeneutic application research – finding a common understanding and consensus on care and caring

Abstract

To clinically and contextually implement the theoretical and factual knowledge of care and caring that has been developed in the last 30 years is seen as a great challenge in caring science research. Emphasis has been put on problem-solving research methodologies and action research in hopes of narrowing the divide between caring theory and clinical practice. Thus, the intention is now to further action research towards a hermeneutic approach and to put emphasis on hermeneutic application where theory and praxis become one through human dialogue. This article highlights hermeneutic application research as an alternative methodology within participatory-oriented research which presents a new opportunity to unite clinical practice and caring theory. The aim is to contribute to the development of the hermeneutical application research design in its epistemological, ontological and ethical perspective, by articulating and clarifying the central foundations in the application. On the basis of Gadamer's hermeneutical thinking and Levinas ethical thinking, the central foundations in the application research are ethics, creation of a hermeneutical room, dialogue and common understanding and appropriation and action. When theoretical understanding turns into praxis, knowledge also becomes activity and theory and practice become one. Application thus realises the basic idea that praxis and theory are one, and thus, theory of caring can only become evident and implemented in a clinical practice through moments when the participants find a common understanding and consensus on the knowledge of care and caring.

Clinical application research through reflection, interpretation and new understanding – a hermeneutic design

“…All scientific researchers and participants in the process contributed to creative thinking about dignity as an ethical act, and how to preserve dignity in old people in nursing homes. This method, through its uniqueness, has the potential to contribute to immediate change in clinical practice . The results from our research (see Table ) show how residents, their family caregivers and healthcare providers in nursing homes described human dignity in daily life.…”

“…The study describes the concepts ‘care for’ and ‘not to care for’ and how it was expressed within clinical praxis . Koskinen and Nyström have highlighted clinical application research as an alternative methodology within participatory‐oriented research for caring science. The studies above have been carried out with a clinical application research design, and all studies share a common hermeneutic base, but have diversity in performance depending on context.…”

Det vårdande i reflektiva dialoger

“…Genom frågor och svar hölls olika möjligheter öppna. Alla forskare trädde in i en gemensam rörelse mellan förtrogenhet och främlingskap (Koskinen & Nyström, 2017).…”

“…Den reflektiva dialogen i en applikationsforskningsdesign erbjuder ett gemenskapens rum (jfr. Koskinen & Nyström, 2017), och när vårdarna träder in i det rummet så skapas möjligheter för dem själva och andra. Man skapar möjligheter för sig själv när man reflekterar, dvs.…”

Prevention of RhD alloimmunization in Northern British Columbia

“…In addition, often research is made to fit into a theoretical framework producing research findings that continue to prove the theory; this becomes problematic because the theory then becomes normalized (Thorne, 2008;Thorne et al, 2015). Interpretive description provides the opportunity to dismiss theory-driven research claiming that applied health research is not about proving a theory but about scaffolding a study that will develop findings applicable to practice, which is continuously changing (Koskinen & Nystrom, 2017;Thorne, 2008;Thorne et al, 2015).…”