Year: 2010
Type: article
Abstract: Investigating expertise has proven difficult and successful inquiry into nursing expertise has been limited.The purpose of this dissertation is (1) to describe the development of a program of research related to flight nursing practice, (2) to describe the development of the Middle Range Theory of Flight Nursing Expertise, (3) to explore the usefulness of applying complex system characteristics in investigating expertise, and (4) to report the findings of a cooperative inquiry investigation that provided the initial exploration of the Middle Range Theory of Flight Nursing Expertise.Three manuscripts related to flight nursing practice and expertise was developed.The three manuscripts for publication are: ( 1) Flight Nursing Expertise: Toward a Middle-range Theory, (2) The Contribution of Complex System Characteristics to Naturalistic Decision Making in an Investigation of Flight Nursing Practice, and (3) An Exploration of the Middle Range Theory of Flight Nursing Expertise in Clinical Practice.We choose complexity science as a theoretical approach to this investigation.Several complexity science characteristics (open system, non-linearity, self-organization, and emergence) influenced the choice of a methodological approach -cooperative inquiry.Two rounds of inquiry were conducted.The first round consisted of the creation and completion of a post-flight questionnaire to assess expertise in flight nursing.The viii second round entailed the conduction of individual interviews (critical decision method), and identified three themes which were: anticipating future events, expanded decision making, and partner cuing.The results of both rounds of inquiry provided support for the inclusion of each concept identified in the theory and provided initial support for each proposition.The results of this investigation provide initial support for the Middle-range Theory of flight Nursing Expertise.Additional exploration of the theory will include possible revision of the theory to incorporate the concept of partner cuing, and the expansion of the theory to include additional flight team compositions and modes of transport.An additional application of this theory may include the expansion of the theory into an interdisciplinary conceptual framework applicable to each profession involved in patient transport.
Author: Andrew P. Reimer
Institution: Case Western Reserve University
Language: English
Subfield: Family Practice
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2263376703