Nursing outlook
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Carper's ways of knowing in nursing, empirics, esthetics, personal knowing, and ethics, provide a guide to holistic practice, education, and research. The origin and evolution of the ways of knowing are discussed and applied to current and proposed hope research with bereaved palliative caregivers, with the ultimate goal of promoting healthy, positive outcomes for this unique population. ⋯ Unknowing and sociopolitical knowing offer a critical perspective as research is developed and applied, while considering complexity and social context. Nursing research from diverse epistemological perspectives will enhance the effectiveness and appropriateness of evidence-based practice.