Gleaning wisdom in the research on caring

Light is the metaphor for wisdom; we seek and turn toward light as we seek and reach for wisdom, personally and professionally. The purpose of human life is, as Jung noted, kindling the light of meaning to illuminate the darkness. Nursing caring, focusing on the wholeness of persons regardless of life experiences, events, or circumstances, is intimately bound with wisdom, acquired both professionally and personally. In order to glean the wisdom reflected in current nursing research on caring, the author reviewed studies conducted from 2003 to 2008. Only a sampling of the 99 studies found are included here. Patients, students, nurse leaders, and administrators were asked what caring means and how it can be improved; ways to measure and evaluate caring were tested. This body of work can be used to enlighten nurses on the process of caring and how we teach our students to care.