Lightning Detection

Abstract

• Caring represents an essential human need and the fundamental component of the nursing profession. • A deep understanding of caring and the way it is expressed will help nurses to provide high-quality services and, more importantly, to understand nursing itself. • This review of the literature indicates the importance of examining caring both conceptually and operationally. • Based on theoretical and research accounts, it also presents the wide variety of ways in which caring is conceived and expressed within the professional field. • Caring is examined from anthropological, philosophical and psychosocial perspectives. • In this paper implications for practice and research are outlined. © 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd.