A PHENOMENOLOGIC INVESTIGATION OF THE CONCEPT OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF CARING IN PROFESSIONAL NURSES.
Contributors: Adelphi University.
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 291
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This descriptive study used a phenomenologic design to investigate the concept of caring as a lived experience, in a purposive sample of twelve baccalaureate-prepared nurses. The Colaizzi (1978) method was used to analyze the data. Content, concurrent, and construct validity were obtained using Goodwin and Goodwin's criteria (1984).

Few previous studies have investigated caring in nursing or in other care-provider professions. Prior to this study, caring as a concept had not been discerned from similar concepts, including empathy, touch, love, helping, and social support. This study examined caring as a human concept, and explained its meaning in professional nursing.

The study's purpose was to discover whether caring exists as a direct and intentional professional process in nursing that is comprised of direct and intentional caring actions, or whether such caring is solely indirect.

The research questions asked: (A) What is the experience of caring? (B) Is there a difference between natural caring and professional nurse caring? (C) Can this difference be discerned by the professional nurse providing the caring? (D) Is professional nurse caring: (1) intentional and/or (2) direct and/or (3) indirect?.

Six themes of natural caring and fourteen themes of professional nurse caring emerged from the participants' lived caring experience. The study's Exhaustive Descriptions of Natural Caring and of Professional Nurse Caring were derived from the themes, and provided the framework for the Fundamental Structure of Professional Nurse Caring. Natural caring was enfolded within this Fundamental Structure.

The study's findings suggested that professional nurse caring can be a direct, intentional process comprised of directly intentional caring actions. Because professional nurse caring was discovered to be a discrete concept that differs from that of natural caring, the findings support the speculation that the modus of professional nurse caring can be taught. The study's results provided the basis for a proposed Conceptual Model of Professional Nurse Caring.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-12, Section: B, page: 3531.

Thesis (PH.D.)--ADELPHI UNIVERSITY, 1987.

School code: 0001.