Energy: A concept analysis from a nursing perspective

The term "energy" is common in day-to-day language and denotes a myriad of different meanings depending on context. Energy is one of the most significant concepts for nearly all of the sciences including nursing, and yet it continues to be ambiguously defined. This article utilizes a modified version of Walker and Avant's framework for concept analysis (2011) to identify the characteristics, attributes, and antecedents of the concept of energy and provides a practical and theoretical application to nursing. The defining attributes discussed are power, productivity, effort, and activity. Model and contrary cases are presented to better provide a representation of the concept of energy. Empirical referents or a proper measurement or assessment of energy are nonspecific and poorly defined. Opportunities for future research related to the concept of energy in nursing include implementation of new terminology or theory development.