The core business of caring: a nursing oxymoron?

Shields, Linda (2014) The core business of caring: a nursing oxymoron? Collegian, 21 (3). pp. 193-199.

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Abstract

Nursing has always regarded caring as its core business. The historical record about caring in nursing is non-specific, and little direct evidence exists about caring as part of nursing. Caring is not restricted to nursing, is possibly influenced by public perceptions of nursing, and can be subverted for maleficent ends. This paper discusses these points, and then moves to explain how caring fares in the Australian health care system.

Australia has been blighted by a "cultural cringe" which sees anything from overseas as more valuable than anything Australian. This is as true for nursing, and caring within that, as for any other aspect of Australian life. However, Australia has one of the best health care systems in the world, and nursing as a profession is a world leader.

The argument of this paper is that the core business of caring could be under threat in Australia unless nurses recognize their particularly good contribution to the profession and subsequent patient/client care, and celebrate that. Examples are taken from the United Kingdom where there is a crisis of caring within nursing and health. These are used to explain how Australian nursing can avoid the pitfalls and retain caring as its core business.

Item ID: 27758
Item Type: Article (Commentary)
ISSN: 1876-7575
Keywords: caring, politics, critical thinking, nursing
Date Deposited: 26 Jun 2013 03:52
FoR Codes: 11 MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES > 1110 Nursing > 111099 Nursing not elsewhere classified @ 100%
SEO Codes: 92 HEALTH > 9202 Health and Support Services > 920210 Nursing @ 100%
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