Important Nurse Caring Behaviors: Perceptions of Oncology Patients and Nurses

Abstract

The concept of care or caring is considered to be a salient feature of nursing practice yet there has been little systematic investigation of caring as related to nursing. This study used a correlational, comparative design to explore rankings of nurse caring behaviors by oncology patients and nurses including the investigation of differences between subscale scores of these caring behaviors. Forty two patients and 46 nurses participated in the study. The results demonstrate differences and similarities between these two groups in their ranking of nurse caring behaviors. Five new subscales were identified and labelled according to kinds of caring demonstrated by the nurse. Patients ranked as most important the clinical aspects of care followed by the empathetic manner of caring. Nurses chose as most important the empathetic manner of caring followed by the continuity of caring. This study provides increased understanding of the perceptions of oncology patients and nurses about nurse caring behaviors. Care is a salient feature of the practice of nursing. Leininger (1977, 1988), Watson (1979), Brown (1981), Gaut (1984), and Benner & Wrubel (1989) are among those who have contributed to the current understanding of this concept. Their efforts notwithstanding, there has been little systematic investigation of this subject. Larson (1981, 1984) conducted an important study comparing the perceptions of nurses and patients regarding nurse caring behaviors. The current study is a replication and elaboration of that original work to obtain further information about this phenomenon.