The burden of boundedness and the implication for nursing: A scoping review

In the COVID-19 pandemic, many people experienced temporal boundedness in different ways (e.g., home, country, persons, and rules). However, being bound is also a permanent experience for chronically ill or handicapped people with sometimes serious consequences. To be able to recognize the phenomenon, a clear definition is necessary. In the literature, though, boundedness shows up as a very multifaceted phenomenon.

Exploring and conceptualizing the phenomenon of boundedness taking into account the various forms and the consequences for nursing.

A scoping review using the framework of Arksey and O'Malley and the PRISMA statement (PRISMA-ScR) to verify the fullness of the review.

Online dictionaries and theoretical and empirical publications in CINAHL, Medline via PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, Scopus, WISO. A total of 34 sources were included.

Boundedness as a contextual concept is ambiguous. There are three basic causes: an acquired condition, personal obligations, arranged conditions, two principal courses: enduring and temporary, and seven types of being bound: to one or more person(s), to a place/position, to/in an object, to thoughts/opinions, to activities, to/in substances and to time. Examples of types are bedbound, culture-bound, homebound, time-bound, wheelchair-bound and are particularly relevant for care. The consequences are manifold, physically, as well as mentally, and socially.

To reduce or avoid the burdens caused by boundedness, the concept must be implemented in nursing education and nursing practice. To this end, nursing research must further specify the types of boundedness in concept analyses and develop suitable interventions.