The proper focus of nursing: a critique of the "caring" ideology

Some nurse educators in the United Kingdom are following the lead of North American theorists by asserting that caring "is" the core of nursing. This paper offers a focused critique of the caring ideology, through an examination of: (a) the views of a founding figure in the "caring" movement, and (b) a proposal for the integration of a "caring curriculum" within Project 2000. An overview of the "caring" literature prefaces an examination of Watson's notion of a "science of caring". Finally, Kirby and Slevin's recent proposals for a "curriculum of care" are examined in terms of their necessity and practicality.