In response to the call to reclaim caring in nursing, an associate of science in nursing degree program recently incorporated a curriculum that emphasizes the teaching and learning of caring. To accomplish this goal, caring groups composed of nursing faculty and students were established. The caring group experience involved the creation of a safe place in which nursing students and faculty could engage each other in a reciprocal dialogue of sharing and support. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study designed to discover and describe the lived experience of being in a caring group from the perspective of nursing students. Participants reported being more aware of the meaning and importance of caring in their personal and professional lives, being more accepting of others, and valuing caring and self-care more. They also expressed an intention to recreate the caring group experience in future practice settings. Conclusions from this study address the pedagogical measures necessary to sustain care and caring as the essence of nursing.

Purpose: Over a decade ago, the U.S. Public Health Service recommended routine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing for pregnant women. Despite this recommendation, nearly 30% of pregnant women report not being tested. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe personal experiences of women in obtaining HIV testing and healthcare services in east Texas.

The pressing need for health care reform in this century has contributed to an increasing interest in educating health care providers who can deliver cost-effective, high-quality care. Demand for primary care nurse practitioners has risen significantly, and nursing education has responded by increasing the numbers and graduates of nurse practitioner programs. Although this century brings new opportunities for expanded nursing roles, it also presents challenges for nurse practitioners to sustain a holistic perspective while providing quality care. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to discover, describe, and analyze the stories of 10 novice nurse practitioners who used intuition in clinical decision making. The authors maintained a critical social consciousness and postmodern perspective to analyze and describe the shared meanings and common practices of participants. This article discusses the six themes and constitutive process that emerged from the data and addresses implications for nurse practitioner education and practice.

Socially responsible nurse educators articulate the need to explore opportunities for nursing students to participate in experiences that promote caring and respect for diversity. This research illuminates the experiences of 10 African-American nursing students who participated in caring groups while enrolled in a predominantly White nursing education program. Although the meanings embedded in the African-American students' stories revealed commonalities with those of European-American and international students, there were also some differences. The authors maintained a critical social consciousness to analyze and describe these commonalities and differences. This article discusses the constitutive patterns and themes that emerged from the data and addresses implications for nursing education and practice.