Elderly clients' perceptions of caring of a home-care nurse

This descriptive multiple case study examined elderly home-care clients' perceptions of caring behaviours of the nurse within the context of the nursing relationship. Five clients were nursed over a 2-5 month period, during which time data were collected. Client perceptions of nurse caring behaviours were collected through one semi-structured interview at the termination of the nursing relationship. Results from this study support the perception of nurse attributes as caring, consistent with previous research. Moreover, the results suggest that these nurse attributes form the basis of caring in nursing interventions. A model of caring is proposed. Implications for nursing practice and future research are addressed.