Toward a caring culture in professional nursing

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• The nursing profession is traditionally rooted in the value of caring.
• Current healthcare system changes create stressful and unsupportive practice environments for nurses.
• Economic and political factors jeopardize the ideal of nursing as a caring community.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the impact of managed care on the nursing profession.
• To reaffirm the importance of the caring community in nursing.
• To provide practical guidelines for maintaining caring practice.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on managed care's impact on nursing.
• Analysis of factors affecting the nursing practice environment.
• Development of assessment guidelines and recommendations.

Main Results:

• Managed care significantly impacts the nursing environment, often negatively.
• The concept of a caring community remains vital to nursing.
• Organizational culture is a key determinant of caring practice.

Conclusions:

• Nurses face significant challenges to maintaining a caring practice environment.
• Specific strategies and guidelines are necessary to support the nursing caring community.
• Fostering a supportive organizational culture is crucial for preserving compassionate nursing care.