Reframing caring as discursive practice: a critical review of conceptual analyses of caring in nursing

Abstract

This study critically examines the way in which the concept of caring is presented in the nursing literature through conceptual analytic approaches. A critical reflection on the potential consequences of representing a concept of caring as vague and ambiguous, yet central to ontology and epistemology in professional nursing is presented drawing on comparisons between the conceptual analyses of caring, and of structuralist perspectives of language, and how this potentially limits scholarship in this area. A search of the literature revealed nine conceptual papers. These papers highlight the self-referential characteristics of the concept of caring, and of analytical methods in general. It is proposed that this is the result of a systematic adherence to a rigid, structuralist view of language, whereby stable relationships between words and their meanings are assumed. An alternative perspective is offered by viewing caring as a discursive practice rather than a fixed conceptual entity, calling into question the role that the concept plays in nursing practice. A poststructuralist perspective requires caring to be perceived as a discourse of nursing that is fluid and contingent, rather than a central and guiding concept, opening up a new orientation for nursing scholarship in caring research.

Contradictory views of nursing care among students at the end of their nursing education

“…According to some authors, this is because for years nursing theory has claimed care as the central axis of nursing practice (Sargent 2012). Nonetheless, its definition remains complex and ambiguous (Khademian & Vizeshfar 2008, Sargent 2012.…”

“…According to some authors, this is because for years nursing theory has claimed care as the central axis of nursing practice (Sargent 2012). Nonetheless, its definition remains complex and ambiguous (Khademian & Vizeshfar 2008, Sargent 2012. Alberdi (1992) has shown that in spite of the focus on care in definitions of nursing, providing care continues to be difficult in practice because of an overload of tasks related to procedures, diagnosis or equipment (Lleixá et al 2009).…”

“…According to the International Council of Nurses (2002), "Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings". That is, there is a consensus on a theoretical level that establishes care as the essence and main function of nursing (Morse et al 1990, Alberdi 1992, Khademian & Vizeshfar 2008, Begum & Slavin 2012, Sargent 2012, Labrague et al 2015.…”

Effectiveness of nursing in paediatrics unit: Reviewing culturally sensitive care and experiences of nurses on the patients’ health recovery.

“…Self efficacy is an important factor that determines the the capacity of any individual involved in the nursing profession. Not only this, high self efficacy improves the quality of care delivered and is a crucial factor in improving the performance of any individual in an organization (Sargent 2011). Although, it is well known that empathy is an essential requirement in nursing profession, it is a concept that is still masked in quite a lot of ambiguity as well as controversy among the medical and social scholars.…”

Psychometric performance of the English language six‐item Caring Behaviours Inventory in an acute care context

“…The conceptual properties and dimensions of caring have been described somewhat differently in the literature and a consensus conceptual definition is yet to be established (Sargent ). Morse et al .…”