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Aims and objectives: To characterise the intratheoretical interests of knowledge in nursing science as an epistemological framework for fundamental care. Background: For Jürgen Habermas, theory does not separate knowledge interests from life. All knowledge, understanding and human research is always interested. Habermas formulated the knowledge interests in empirical‐analytical, historical‐hermeneutic and critical social sciences; but said nothing about health sciences and nursing science. Design: Discursive paper. Results: The article is organised into five sections that develop our argument about the implications of the Habermasian intratheoretical interests in nursing science and fundamental care: the persistence of a technical interest, the predominance of a practical interest, the importance of an emancipatory interest, “being there” to understand individuals’ experience and an “existential crisis” that uncovers the individual's subjectivity. Conclusions: The nursing discipline can take on practical and emancipatory interests (together with a technical interest) as its fundamental knowledge interests. Nurses’ privileged position in the delivery of fundamental care gives them the opportunity to gain a deep understanding of the patient's experience and illness process through physical contact and empathic communication. Relevance to clinical practice and nursing research: In clinical, academic and research environments, nurses should highlight the importance of fundamental care, showcasing the value of practical and emancipatory knowledge. This process could help to improve nursing science's leadership, social visibility and idiosyncrasy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aims: To explore and understand the experiences of terminally ill patients and their relatives regarding dignity during end‐of‐life care in the emergency department. Background: The respect given to the concept of dignity is significantly modifying the clinical relationship and the care framework involving the end‐of‐life patient in palliative care units, critical care units, hospices and their own homes. This situation is applicable to in‐hospital emergency departments, where there is a lack of research which takes the experiences of end‐of‐life patients and their relatives into account. Design: A phenomenological qualitative study. Methods: The protocol was approved in December 2016 and will be carried out from December 2016–December 2020. The Gadamer's philosophical underpinnings will be used in the design and development of the study. The data collection will include participant observation techniques in the emergency department, in‐depth interviews with terminally ill patients and focus groups with their relatives. For the data analysis, the field notes and verbatim transcriptions will be read and codified using ATLAS.ti software to search for emerging themes. Discussion: Emerging themes that contribute to comprehending the phenomenon of dignity in end‐of‐life care in the emergency department are expected to be found. This study's results could have important implications in the implementation of new interventions in emergency departments. These interventions would be focused on improving: the social acceptance of death, environmental conditions, promotion of autonomy and accompaniment and assumption (takeover) of dignified actions and attitudes (respect for human rights). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]