Mr. John Adams is a 65 year old male who has been planning to retire from his position as an accountant
for many years. He wanted to retire on his 65th birthday, but his wife of 40 years died of lymphoma last
year. He now finds that he only leaves the house to work. He has let his membership in the swimming
and tennis clubs and outings with his neighbors slide. He does not go out socially anymore, except for
visiting his two children and their families who live out of town. He is no longer active in the Knights of
Columbus, nor does he regularly attend the church that he and his wife were very active in.
He is now trying to decide now whether to retire or not because he is aware that his work has
become the only thing in his life. He has a loss of energy and does not enjoy weekend time any more.
Food shopping is a chore, so he usually buys his main meal at work and snacks on crackers and cheese at
night. Generally, he eats a bagel or a donut for breakfast. On the weekends, he generally stays in bed
until noon and does not eat anything until dinner – which is usually pizza or some type of fast food.
Since his wife died, he has been delaying his regularly schedule visits to his hematologist for
management of his hemochromatosis. He has been gaining weight – approximately 14 pounds, since his
wife was first diagnosed with cancer about 2 years ago. He has also started smoking cigars every
evening. Recently, he was outside having his nightly smoke when he tripped and fell and fractured his
left hip.
He has just been discharged home from the rehabilitation center, and you are the advanced
practitioner from the Visiting Nurse Service assigned to his case. He confides in you that he wants to
remain independent as long as possible. Should he retire, should he sell his house One of his daughters
is at his home for the next 2 weeks to assist him and is pushing him to retire and move in with her and
her family.
What are his priority needs for promoting his health? How would these be best managed? How
would you apply the Theory of the Way of Being in your plan to help Mr. Adams? Which concepts of the
Ways of Knowing are relevant? Personal Knowledge - knowing that emerges from an awareness of self and others. It includes personal and interpersonal experiences and is enriched through self-reflection and mutual engagement in nursing practice.
• Empirical Knowledge - knowing that informs the science of nursing, is evidence-based, and guides nursing practice.
• Aesthetic Knowledge - knowing that appreciates the diversity of the human experience through the beauty and creative expression of nursing practice.
• Ethical Knowledge - knowing that encompasses beliefs, values, professional codes and standards that support deliberations and actions in nursing practice.
• Sociopolitical Knowledge - knowing that promotes an appreciation of societal and political factors that impact nursing practice
• Unknowing in Knowledge - embraces a belief that knowledge is fluid and constantly evolving and emerging. It supports a spirit of inquiry that advances nursing science and practice.