[The caring moment and the "green thumb phenomenon" in Swedish nurses]

The caring moment and the phenomenon of the green thumb for nursing in Sweden. People who have a special gift for gardening are sometimes described as having a green thumb. Likewise, some nurses have a green thumb for nursing. The aims of this study were to identify and describe the characteristics of green-thumb nurses and of caring situations. A descriptive-exploratory design was used and 16 nurses, recruited by their superiors, participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that the green-thumb nurse is competent, compassionate, and courageous. The essence of the caring moment was identified as the green-thumb nurse's ability to act on the spur of the moment, using her competence, compassion, and courage.