Enacting Nursing Obligations: Public Health Nurses’ Theorizing in Practice

A recent study illustrated Public Health Nurses’ theorizing of obligation within their everyday practice with high priority families. As a practical (and practice) activity this theorizing shaped and enhanced PHN practice in complex nursing situations and served to affect desired outcomes for families. Using a hermeneutic methodology, six features were identified as central to this practical theorizing process: (a) being in the complexity of families’ lives, (b) responding to relational cues, (c) putting the primary investment in people and families, (d) working toward potential, (e) working the relational “in-betweens,” and (f) reflexive inquiry. The findings have implications for understanding theory and theory development in everyday nursing practice.