Developing a collective future: creating a culture specific nurse caring practice model for hospitals

Nurses continue to struggle with the knowledge that practice within a conceptual context is imperative, yet operationalizing theory-based practice has been fraught with challenges and frustrations. It is timely, given the current environment, for nurses to reflect personally and collectively on the processes and meanings of nursing. Caring theories have been examined with increasing frequency recently, as nurse leaders and theorists explore the profession using alternative frames of reference. The authors discuss the concepts central to development of a practice-based nurse caring model in a community hospital and review the process of nurse-caring model development. Concepts central to the development of the model include: individual;-collective experience as theory; cargiver-client congruence in perceptions of nurse caring; institutions as culture-specific environments. The ongoing process of theory development was initiated by data collection through focus group discussions on nurse-caring experiences and definitions. Twenty-four staff RNs and RNAs were interviewed by a trained facilitator. Audiotaped data were later transcribed and subjected to content analysis for initial theme and definition development. A parallel exercise was carried out with hospital patients using the same methodology. Subsequent analysis included validation of findings by both groups. Examinations of constructs as the theory development evolves will be expedited by both staff and in consultation with Dr. Madeleine Leininger and other external nurse-caring theorists. The Health Centre intends to operationalize and implement its nurse-caring model as an outcome of this long term project. Assumptions integral to the purpose of the project have been validated by staff response. Concepts and their relationships appear to achieve acceptance and be congruent with this nursing group's values and the way in which they practice. Observations to date indicate that collective development of a practice model is providing the means for growth and change in the institution's nursing practice.