Hoping: An exemplar of scholarly dialogue

The current “Editor’s Pick” article is an inspiration reflected in the title – “’Hoping to See the Future I Prefer’ An Element of Life-World for Older Women Living Alone” by Eileen J. Porter, PhD, RN, FGSA; Tolu O. Oyesanya, MS, RN and Kathy A. Johnson, MSN, RN.  In this article, the authors discuss their secondary analysis of  the findings of four completed phenomenologic studies that focused on the concept of “hope.”  Prior work has established a tradition in nursing of focusing on hope per se and on hope in suffering and despair.  Porter, Oyesanya and Johnson shifted their focus to the experience of day-to-day life, and discuss at length this important conceptual shift.  They conclude:

Hoping emerges from one’s past, through one’s present and toward a horizon that has various degrees of clarity. We view hoping as an anticipatory stance, rather than a purposeful aim.

Their discussion reflects one of the important dimensions of scholarship – that of interaction and dialogue.  This article exemplifies an “interaction” with prior conceptualizations that pushes the discourse forward.  It acknowledges the importance and value of prior work, but also exposes the importance of a shift in focus that begins at the conceptual level.  This shift has far-reaching implications for nursing scholarship related to that which constitutes the essence of nursing – the experience of health and illness.  Visit the ANS web site now to see this inspiring article – you can download it for free while it is featured!