The Moral Construct of Caring in Nursing asCommunicative Action: A Theory for Nursing Practice

Caring in Nursing is complex, multi-faceted, and noteasily explicated in the whole of its componentparts. This theory describes the bi-directionalcommunication that occurs between nurse and patient.The nurse consists of personal and professionalselves, and the patient personal and illness selves.The nurse professional self consists of theory,practice, and experiential knowledge. The patientillness self includes physical, psychological, socialand spiritual needs. The interaction is based oninnate human vulnerability and need of'considerateness.' The moral component is predicatedon the vulnerability of both. Examples and storiesare provided to make clear difficult concepts. Thisbook is targeted to all registered nurses anywhere inthe world. It is useful for nursing faculty teachingat both graduate and undergraduate levels. It is ofparticular interest to those who study Caring inNursing. This theory is workable in clinical practice.