Care is regularly used as a suffix to nursing, in such well-known phrases as 'total nursing care' and 'holistic nursing care'. While most care is provided by lay persons, there is little nursing research which focuses on the meaning of care, particularly in relation to the United Kingdom. This small-scale study investigates the meaning of care from the experience of six practising staff nurses in a British hospital and leads to a view of this phenomenon. Phenomenology was the chosen methodology, which facilitated the emergence of an essential structure of caring which incorporated four major categories described as 'being supportive', 'communicating', 'pressure' and 'caring ability'. It is suggested that, through gaining perspectives to enhance our understanding of the meaning of care, it will ultimately develop our understanding of nursing itself.

The acceptance of a diverse range of understandings of spirituality and a greater focus on practical ways of using it in nursing care are the direction the profession should be moving into.

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The origin of evidence-based medicine is explored and its connection to evidence-based practice examined. Widespread acceptance of the dominant scientific paradigm supporting evidence-based practice is challenged. Knowledge classifications and their relevance for nursing practice are considered, with the need for a critical balance to be pursued. Recommendations are made, regarding the future of evidence for practice, and a brief example of emerging evidence concerning values of professional caring is offered in redressing the balance.