A hermeneutic study of the concept of 'focusing' in critical care nursing practice

A phenomenological hermeneutic study of the lifeworld of critical care nursing was undertaken, from which emerged the concept of 'focusing'. Focusing is defined as empathizing concern for the critically ill person and his/her family amid the high technology of the intensive care unit. When nurses focus on the patient and the patient's family they are able to empathize with the personal dimensions of caring. The study used a phenomenological hermeneutic approach to describe the nature of the lived experience of clinical nursing practice in a high technology environment.