Giving a voice to patient experiences through the insights of pragmatism

Abstract

As a philosophical position, pragmatism can be critiqued to distinguish truth only with methods that bring about desired results, predominantly with scientific enquiry. The article hopes to dismiss this oversimplification and propose that within mental health nursing, enquiry enlightened by pragmatism can be anchored to methods helping to tackle genuine human problems. Whilst pragmatists suggest one reality exists, fluctuating experiences and shifting beliefs about the world can inhabit within; hence, pragmatists propose reality has the potential to change. Moreover, pragmatism includes being cognisant of what works to whom reality concerns, making reality context‐driven, with a view to understand how actions shape experiences so what is generated has usefulness. Hence, it somewhat follows pragmatism can inform mental health nursing, after all, nursing is a discipline of action, and awareness is needed in how actions produce experiences that patients find helpful. Given the principles of recovery are preferably adopted in mental health care, the paper will explore how pragmatism can help nurses move towards that goal; specifically, with patients voicing their experiences. This is because like pragmatism, recovery subscribes to hope that reality can progress, and through meaningful experiences and beliefs, patients have expertise about personal difficulties alongside how life may flourish, despite mental illness.

Pragmatism as a philosophical foundation to integrate education, practice, research and policy across the nursing profession

“…Another study, based in the United Kingdom, examined the role of pragmatism in nursing and captured how beneficial pragmatism could be in the mental health setting (Deering et al, 2021). Deering et al (2021) discussed three themes found in pragmatism: plurality, fallibility and meliorism. They discussed the constant tension around the question of who has the knowledge (Deering et al, 2021).…”

Exploring the uses of virtues in woman‐centred care: A quest, synthesis and reflection

“…Prudence is a governing virtue, suggesting that an agent would be of merit to arrive at pragmatism. An agent who leads, generates meaning, who casts light on woman-centred care points of view and actions, who shifts the direction of ideas in maternity services and who safeguards the essence and importance of womancentred care (Deering et al, 2020;McInnes et al, 2020).…”

“…Functioning as a woman-centred care (student) midwife begins within the social context of woman-centred care midwifery and requires pragmatism, through seeking and creating experiences that shape the utility of woman-centred care, envisaging the truth of woman-centred care and discarding its errors (Deering et al, 2020).…”

Experience of Caring as Source of Abductive Reasoning in Nursing: a Pragmatic Vision

“…Abductive reasoning is understood as the faculty of examining a set of facts and permitting for those events to imply a theory, for which is considered accumulated experience, given that the theory cannot be generated without a prior context or a surprising nursing phenomenon. (14) From the approaches of the classics Peirce and Dewey, referenced by Deering (11) and Moscoso (14) allowed to build the components of abductive reasoning so that they could be applied and characterized to nursing practice because they can occur simultaneously or in different moments; however, it is necessary that all occur in the same situation. These are defined briefly in the following:…”

“…Experiences are part of reality, but it has the potential to change and be influenced by the context upon demonstrating certain degree of utility for science and society. (11) Because nursing is of pragmatic nature, it could be stated that the development of this discipline is also pragmatic. In other words, the nursing setting transcends from a context of theoretical application to one of generation of knowledge.…”