"Is there a place for "care" within nursing?"

Area of Science:

• Nursing Studies
• Philosophy of Care

Background:

• The prevailing assumption views care and nursing as interchangeable and symbiotic.
• This perspective influences the nursing profession's self-definition and professional boundaries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically examine the assumption of interchangeability between care and nursing.
• To explore the complex relationship between the nature of care and the practice of nursing.
• To address the implications of this assumption for nursing roles and professional identity.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on the nature of care.
• Analysis of the relationship between care and nursing.
• Exploration of the socialization process in nursing.
• Examination of personal human difficulties faced by nurses.

Main Results:

• The assumption of care and nursing being interchangeable requires serious reconsideration.
• Current views on care and nursing appear inconsistent and conflict with actual nursing practice.
• Nurses experience significant personal human difficulties in their daily roles.

Conclusions:

• The nursing profession must resolve inconsistencies in defining its roles and boundaries.
• Definitions need to align with the realities of nursing practice and the nurse's work.
• Re-evaluating the care-nursing relationship is essential for professional clarity.