The relational inquiry approach enables nurses to understand and examine different nursing situations within complex healthcare contexts using the ideologies of pragmatism, critical theory, and hermeneutic phenomenology. In this paper, the author presents the application of the relational inquiry approach using Newman's theory to analyze a case of a man who refused coronary artery bypass surgery in Pakistan. This analysis demonstrates that relational inquiry is useful in examining patients' experiences and related healthcare needs and helps the nurses to perform appropriate actions to produce desirable outcomes.
Keywords: Newman; nurse-patient interaction; nursing theory application; relational inquiry approach.