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Related Concept Videos

The Placebo Effect01:54

The Placebo Effect

The placebo effect occurs when people's expectations or beliefs influence or determine their experience in a given situation. In other words, simply expecting something to happen can actually make it happen.
Egoism and Altruism01:55

Egoism and Altruism

Voluntary behavior with the intent to help other people is called prosocial behavior. Why do people help other people? Is personal benefit such as feeling good about oneself the only reason people help one another?
Altruism01:03

Altruism

Altruistic behaviors are “unselfish” behaviors—those that help another individual at the expense of the individual carrying out the behavior. Despite the negative consequences for the altruistic animal, these behaviors are thought to have evolved for several reasons.
Empathy02:34

Empathy

Some researchers suggest that altruism operates on empathy. Empathy is the capacity to understand another person’s perspective, to feel what he or she feels. An empathetic person makes an emotional connection with others and feels compelled to help (Batson, 1991). Empathy can be expressed in several ways, including cognitive, affective, and motor.
Restorative Care01:19

Restorative Care

Restorative care is provided once a patient has been discharged from a healthcare facility and requires additional services. The additional services include home care, rehabilitation programs, and extended care. Restorative care centers help the patient regain their previous level of functioning or acquire a new level of functioning due to the incapacitating effects of a disease or a disability. It aims to assist patients in enhancing their quality of life by encouraging independence,...
Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.

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The 'little extra' that alleviates suffering.

Maria Arman1, Arne Rehnsfeldt

  • 1Karolinska Institute, Section of Nursing, SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden. maria.arman@ki.se

Nursing Ethics
|April 27, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Caring science focuses on ideal patient care. This study found that small, compassionate acts, or "the little extra," by nurses can preserve patient dignity and foster hope, enhancing the human connection in healthcare.

Area of Science:

  • Nursing
  • Caring Science
  • Bioethics

Background:

  • Nursing aims to define and achieve ideal patient care, considering the patient as a whole person.
  • Ethical care and the practical application of nursing are central to patient well-being.
  • Understanding the patient experience requires exploring the nuances of human interaction in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify clinical, empirical indicators of good ethical care in nursing practice.
  • To investigate the essential components of ideal nursing care as it is implemented.
  • To explore the meaning and impact of compassionate actions in patient care.

Main Methods:

  • A hermeneutic methodology was utilized, grounded in caritative caring and ethics of understanding life.

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  • Data collection involved Socratic dialogues with nurses and nursing students, and interviews with former patients.
  • Phenomenological analysis of empirical data, focusing on caregiver interactions and patient perceptions.

    • Main Results:

    • Caregivers providing 'the little extra' demonstrated that patients felt 'seen' as fellow human beings, not just through a nursing model.
    • 'Symbolic acts' of compassion can serve as an ontological response to suffering, bridging gaps in human interaction.
    • Small, benevolent actions were found to preserve patient dignity, affirm their value, and offer hope.

    Conclusions:

    • The study provides clinical evidence that seemingly small acts of kindness have a profound impact on patient experience and well-being.
    • Compassionate care, exemplified by 'the little extra,' is crucial for maintaining human connection and dignity in healthcare.
    • Witnessing and participating in benevolent acts can deepen the understanding of life for both patients and caregivers.