| Learning Objective #1: Describe the phenomenon of nursing presence from the perspective of acute care patients and nurses | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Discuss the participative research process of unitary appreciative inquiry |
Nursing Presence: What Patients Really Want
The results of the study illuminate Nursing Presence as a caring practice and way of being in nursing practice. Caring-healing provided the theoretical framework for the study. The purpose of the study was to describe the nature, experience, and impact of Nursing Presence within nurse/patient relationships. This qualitative descriptive study used the research methodology of Unitary Appreciative Inquiry (Cowling, 2001) to examine Nursing Presence. The incorporation of both nurse and patient perspectives in examining nursing presence was a useful and appropriate strategy to assist in developing a descriptive base for further studies of Nursing Presence. Nurse-participants together with the researcher-participant in the study developed interview guides for nurse and patient interviews. Interviews were completed with seven nurse-patient dyads. Data analysis was completed by the researcher-participant with input from other participants through review of their individual interview texts and synopses. Themes of Nursing Presence from the perspectives of patients and nurses were identified and compared. Nurse-participants reviewed all individual synopses, categories of codes, and named the nurse themes and patient themes that emerged in the categories during data analysis. Nurse Themes of Nursing Presence included knowing the patient, responding to the patient’s needs, attitudes/beliefs, bonding with the patient, influencing others, and relationships. Patient themes of Nursing Presence included knowing me, accessibility, bonding, supporting me, encouraging me/others, and healing. Patient descriptions of Nursing Presence reflect that Nursing Presence is more important than any technical care that nurses provide. Synopses of Nursing Presence were synthesized for both nurses and patients to provide a descriptive narrative reflecting the themes that emerged from individual interviews and synopses.
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Back to 14th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
10-12 July 2003