The Concept of Caring in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Concept of Caring in Nursing - Essay Example The question does arise as to the importance of caring to the nursing profession. The answer to that lies in the accepted fact that caring is an essential facilitator for curing and healing and with the nursing profession steeped in trying to bring about curing and healing the importance of caring in this role becomes clear (Ott, Al-Khaduri & Al-Junaibi, 2003). So what does that caring to a nursing professional mean? There are several theories to caring in the nursing profession. A lot of literature has been written on caring and the nursing profession. However, there are three theories that bring about clarity to the issue of caring in the nursing profession. These three theories are: Care consists of the assistive, supportive, or facilitative actions that are taken for or towards another individual or group of individuals that have clear or anticipated requirements to reduce or improve a human condition or way of life. As a result Leininger,(1984, p. 4) defines caring as â€Å"the direct (or indirect) nurturant and skilful activities, processes and decisions related to assisting people in such a manner that reflects behavioural attitudes, which are empathetic, supportive, compassionate, protective, succorant, educational and others dependant on the needs, problems, values, and goals of the individual or group being assisted†. The general nursing theory of Orem essentially consists of three parts. The first part of the theory consists of the Self-Care element, in which an adult through deliberate means learns and perform actions directed towards survival, improved quality of life and well being. The second element is the Self-Deficit part, according to which, nursing is an essential factor towards the learning of the Self-Care element, as the adults are not in a position to perform self-care because of the limitations of their situation. The third element is the nursing element in the nursing system.