Abstract

QUEIROS, Paulo Joaquim Pina et al. Meanings assigned to the concept of caring. Rev. Enf. Ref. [online]. 2016, vol.serIV, n.10, pp.85-94. ISSN 0874-0283.  https://doi.org/10.12707/RIV16022.

Background: Caring is a key concept in nursing and is considered to be the essence of nursing. For nurses, caring is the defining characteristic of their practice. Objectives: To identify the meanings assigned to caring by nurses and nursing students. Methodology: This is an exploratory, descriptive and quantitative study. We used the Scale of Assessment of Significance of Caring (Escala de Avaliação do Significado de Cuidar), composed of 44 items distributed by 5 dimensions (Caring as a Human Trait, Moral Imperative, Affect, Interpersonal Relationship, and Therapeutic Intervention). The scale was applied to a non-probability convenience sample of 251 subjects: 122 first-year students and 48 fourth-year students attending the Nursing Degree, and 81 nurses. Results: The Therapeutic Intervention and Interpersonal Relationship dimensions obtained the highest mean scores, while the Human Trait and Affect dimensions obtained the lowest scores. The gender mean difference was not statistically significant for any dimension and total scale. Conclusion: Therapeutic Intervention and Interpersonal Relationship are the main meanings assigned to caring. The Caring as Moral Imperative, Affect and Human Trait dimensions obtained the lowest scores.

Keywords : nursing care; nursing; nursing theory.

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