Nurse caring and the new health care paradigm

The current health care environment has ignited a renewed interest in the value of nurse caring and its potential effect on quality of care and patient satisfaction. This study compared perceptions of nurse caring behaviors of inpatient hospice nurses and the families of inpatient hospice clients. The Professional Caring Behaviors Instrument was administered to staff nurses and family representatives in the hospice of a midwestern hospital. Perceptions of nurse caring behaviors were similar for both groups. Only one item. "The caring nurse respects the patient's spiritual beliefs," was significantly more important to the nurses than the family members. Several differences in perceptions were noted in relationship to age.