[NPInfo] Clinical doctorate and theory

[SusanAPR at aol.com]

I really and truly do NOT want to raise up the ugly discussion of theory here 
again, but something happened to me today that I found funny and enlightening.

As part of my growing interest in integrative medicine, I was investigating 
spirituality and its assessment.  

The source was a book written by a Doctor of Divinity (pastor) about 
assessing spiritual needs of hospitalized patients and was directed at pastoral care 
students and professionals.  First page (preface), he talks about how several 
times over the past 20 years he has tried to understand it when different 
groups have asked him about using it.  

This made me smile, as in the same issues do seem to come around over and 
over again in different permutations during the life of a career.  I wonder, is 
it that we can't let go of them, or just coincidence, or what.

Anyway, on page 1 he states that he was, "impressed by the work that was 
developing in nursing diagnosis and by APA's [then] new DSM III. It seems a cohort 
of nurses asked him a clinical question that resulted in the assembly of a 
multidisciplinary team to examine the available models out there.  The book 
describes the model (or format if that word makes one too agitated) they 
generated, and three others, one of which is NANDA's diagnosis of spiritual distress.

The author did a nice thoughtful job describing plus and minus of each, how 
to use, further directions, etc.

And it struck me:  a pastor, two psychologists, a nurse, students and 
graduates, seasoned and not.  Interested and valuing each other's work and points of 
view.  And not one nasty word about NANDA or nursing models.  

I gotta tell ya it was down right amazing!

Best,
Susan