Factors Involved in Praxis in Nursing Practice: A Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Social Justice
• Healthcare Ethics

Background:

• Praxis in nursing involves applying knowledge to achieve societal emancipatory goals and eliminate discrimination in care.
• Effective praxis requires integrating various patterns of knowing, not solely relying on experiential knowledge.
• Understanding the complex factors influencing nursing praxis is crucial for advancing social justice in healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze the key factors that facilitate or impede praxis in nursing practice.
• To explore the relationship between nursing actions, knowledge application, and the pursuit of social justice.
• To determine the elements essential for nurses to effectively engage in praxis for a more equitable healthcare system.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research approach.
• Semi-structured interviews with 19 nurses.
• Direct observation of eight sessions across different hospital departments.
• Conventional content analysis for data interpretation.

Main Results:

• Desirable humanistic attributes and effective nurse-patient communication were identified as facilitators of nursing praxis.
• Prejudice, occupational barriers, negative thoughts, and discriminatory beliefs were found to be significant barriers to praxis.
• A dichotomy exists where factors promoting social justice enable praxis, while those perpetuating discrimination inhibit it.

Conclusions:

• Nursing praxis is enhanced by attributes and communication that drive social justice.
• Barriers such as prejudice and discrimination must be identified and addressed to promote praxis.
• Nurses can leverage the understanding of these factors to eliminate social justice barriers and improve care equity.