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Maryville University

NURS600

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Introduction

One of the most provocative pieces of literature that offers the reader the experience of a helpless search for the meaning of life is Man Should Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl (Shantall, 2020). To carry out a discussion of the horrific times he experienced in the concentration camp and his awareness as a psychiatrist, Frankl cogently declares his thesis that the core of man is not the lust to indulge or to dominate but the lust to make sense. This pursuit is pivotal to the well-being and strength, even against the shroud of oppression. Interestingly, Frankl has further explained the type of existential analysis he called logo-therapy as he was detained in a concentration camp, where he initially noted that those who found meaning in their life were still alive. Not only does this book provide us with a clear philosophical vision, but it also provides hands-on therapeutic approaches, which are applicable in virtually any kind of practice area, including nursing.

Primary Thesis and Development of Logo-therapy

I have to mention that the main argument of the author concerning the purpose of human beings is that the necessity to discover the meaning is the main driving force and can convince even in a concentration camp. Based on his experiences in one of the concentration camps where he and his wife were held captive for years, Frankl based his theory of Logotherapy on the fact that those people who were determined to find meaning in their lives were mostly able to withstand terrible trials more than others (Lewis, 2020). Logo-therapy thus assumes that the meaning of life can be found in three ways. There is a popular conception that there is meaning in the work (achievement of something important), in love (responsibility of another person through caring about them), and in the moments of darkness (courage). Similar to the speech of Alcibiades in the Symposium, the suffering and what Frankl witnessed in the concentration camp showed him that it will be the will to live and the quest for meaning that will keep one alive and sane.

Development of Nursing Theory

To develop nursing theory, personal experiences, clinical practice, and empirical studies have been utilized. Equally, real-life situations and incidences of nursing practice are also observed by nursing theorists, who briefly analyze patterns and formulate theories that describe the patterns (Tinashe Timothy Harry & Roelf Van Niekerk, 2023). Theories in nursing are created to enhance the quality of health and care services, direct practice, and offer a framework for evidence-based practice. They tend to be precursors of the entire comprehensiveness, are applicable to the physical, emotional, and spiritual conditions of people, and are associated with the holistic definition, which was presented by Frank.

Relevance of Logo-therapy to Nursing Theory and Development

Within the concept of nursing theory and advancement, Logo-therapy’s focus on both the physical and the spiritual aspects of a patient is helpful, and its main postulate, which is the concept of will to meaning, is beneficial in the nursing practice (Chen, 2023). Personal reflection: When comparing the work of Frankl to the foundational theory of nursing, and nursing theories vary, it is impossible not to mention that the idea that suffering can be endured when one has a purpose in his or her life can be applied to most of the foundational theories of nursing. For example:

• Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring

It removes the objectivity of a scientific approach to treating patients, which requires mutually concerned nurse-patient contacts in satisfying the concerns of the subjective consciousness of the patient.

• Patricia Benner’s From Novice to Expert

One can see that developing nursing skills through experience and a meaningful relationship with the patients is stated in the model, which reflects the notion of Frankl about the search for meaning through work.

Relevance to Nursing Knowledge and Advanced Practice

The peer material is entirely pertinent to the sphere of nursing knowledge and the sphere of advanced practice because the work lays stress on the need to focus on the psych-spiritual and existential desires of the patients (Guhady and Al-Azirjawi, 2021). By being involved in the processes of articulating the meaning of suffering experiences to patients, instilling hope, and supporting emotional and spiritual well-being, the nurses themselves can implement the principles of Logo-therapy when working with the patients. For instance:

• This aspect of healthcare is where the nurses can assist their patients in understanding how much they hold in their lives, and this may enable them to lead a better life, even with the terminal illnesses they may be having.
• One-to-one communication and psychotherapeutic intervention may be quite effective in the management of mental health patients, whereby the patients are advised to have their own goals and develop a positive perspective towards life, including dealing with depression and anxiety disorders.

Opinion of the Book

The book Man Lucky of Meaning by Frankl is an ever-inspiring and educative work that addresses the human essence of the soul and the power of finding meaning even when all is lost (Coetsier, 2022). Both the autobiography and the career of Frankl can rightly be termed as an intellectual and moral account of the comfort that one can get when they find meaning in life. This feature of the blog is very captivating, particularly to those studying or have been engaged in Psychology, Philosophy, or health care, since it includes his experiences with theoretical knowledge. The book is rather enlightening to nursing professionals, in particular, since it highlights the principles of person-centred care and how one can help patients to seek meaning in their lives in order to make it curative and effective.

Conclusion

In summary, one of the most thought-provoking books that can give a clue about how man can survive in the presence of striated pain is Man Searching of Meaning by Viktor Frankl, which therefore gives a deep insight into the nature of human resiliency and how meaning can help human beings survive. Frankl developed therapy principles based on the traumatic yet educative experiences in the concentration camps, which can be related to the principles of nursing as a theory that justifies the value of unity, wholeness, and patient-centeredness. The relevance of the work of Frankl to the existing practice could be seen in nursing, where the purpose of patients could be an inspiration and could be used to positively alter the health condition of the clients. This book is the representation of the necessity of meaning and can be discussed as the companion of clinicians who are called to help people find their way in the world and think about their death.