Applying Carper’s patterns of knowing to children’s nursing today

Abstract

A brief overview is given of Carper’s four fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing, that is empirics, aesthetics, personal knowing in nursing and moral knowledge in nursing. Each of the four patterns is then applied to children’s nursing to determine how well it relates to children’s nursing, and indeed whether this is taught or learnt at either pre-registration or post-registration level. It is suggested that some of the fundamental patterns of knowing are more clearly developed than others with regard to children’s nursing. Some of the reasons for this are postulated.

Key Words:

• empirics
• aesthetics
• personal knowing
• moral knowledge
• children's nursing