Healing: Analysis of the concept

Healing, a concept familiar to many nurses has recently gained wide recognition and use in both professional and lay circles. In spite of the wide use and scrutiny of the term, the concept remains confusing and inexact. Lack of clarity in meaning leads to multiple definitions, communication problems and difficulties in measurement and theory development. Continued discussion and examination of healing and related concepts will help nurses more clearly define this important concept. The Walker and Avant method of concept analysis can be applied to the concept healing for exploring and clarifying its meaning. Healing, as defined here, is a natural, active and multidimensional process that is individually expressed with common patterns. Body condition, personal attitudes and relationships influence healing.     

Healing: through the lens of intentionality

Understanding and studying healing is one of our challenges as health care providers. This study is a presentation of a secondary analysis of data collected to study intentionality in the context of healing. Six healers and 6 healees, five of each who participate as dyads, described their experiences and their concepts of healing. The theory, Intentionality: the Matrix for Healing (IMH), is presented along with a more expanded definition of healing as an awareness of shift and a transformative process.     

Discourse on humanistic clinical care and nurse healing

The Humanistic Clinical Care and Nurse Healing series of graduate studies courses at National Yang-Ming University reflects the mission and goals of the master's and doctoral programs to cultivate the core competence of students. The humanistic nursing curriculum is designed to engender nurse subjectivity by integrating multidisciplinary knowledge. Courses focus on humanistic ideals and ontological, epistemological and methodological nurse fitness while cultivating nurses' humanistic caring competence and humanistic knowledge development. The Humanistic Clinical Care and Nursing Healing curriculum addresses core subject areas including psychoanalysis and humanistic caring, humanistic clinical knowledge exploration, western philosophy and humanistic caring, imaging art and humanistic caring, and the humanistic caring aspect of helping others as well as discusses creative and evidence-based ideas in health promotion and humanistic nursing. The curriculum begins with identifying and understanding concepts, then advances toward applying concepts in practice, reflection, and healing. This paper introduces curriculum structure and content, evaluates student learning through focus groups and assignment content analysis, and discusses the future development potential of humanistic clinical care and nurse healing.     

Determination of concept technology – the ontology of the concept as a component of the knowledge development in caring science

The purpose of this study is to determine the ontology of the concept of technology from the perspective of caring science. The aim is to increase knowledge of the concept in caring science and to answer the research question concerning what the concept of technology is in caring science. In literature, the concept of technology is used diversely referring it to caring technology, nursing technology, wellbeing technology, information technology, telenursing and technology in care named by a specific device or an area of nursing or medicine. The definition of the concept of technology and its ontology has not been determined from the viewpoint of caring science. Eriksson's model of concept determination provides a method to explore the ontology of the concept. This includes an etymological and semantic analysis as well as a determination of essence and basic category of the concept. The results showed that the concept of technology is multidimensional. It has evolved and altered over the centuries. The origin of the concept formulated from the Greek word ‘techne’, which has wider ontological dimensions. It is universal, it can be taught and it depends on the substance. Subsequently, the concept was introduced an ethical dimension, and it also developed more to the direction of engineering, mechanics and technical know‐how. The semantic analysis revealed synonyms of the concept: art, equipment and knowledge. These introduced concepts such as craft, skill, treatment, engineering, science, study method and way. The nuances of the concept framed its nature. On the one hand, it stands out as practical and advanced, but on the other hand, it is difficult and conventional. The knowledge gained in this study will help to understand the phenomenon of technology in caring science.     

Healing pathways through energy work in the perianesthesia care setting

Energy-medicine therapy such as healing touch is a powerful way to promote relaxation and enhance the healing process. Healing touch is a sacred healing art and a way of caring in which practitioners use their hands as channels to assess and balance the energy field that encircles the body in order to promote the innate ability to heal. A collection of energy-based treatment modalities are used to assess and treat the human energy system. The energy system that is life is influenced by healing touch, which is used extensively in the nursing profession. This energy-medicine therapy is used in all areas of nursing. This article discusses the concepts of healing touch, the human energy field, and applications of healing touch in professional practice in the perianesthesia setting.     

Caring in nursing: analysis of extant theory

Caring in nursing as a substantive area of nursing science has been the focus of considerable scholarly effort. Based on the assumption that caring is the central concept in nursing and is uniquely known and expressed in nursing, this paper focuses on an analysis of major theoretical works related to the concept. Five categories of questions provide a framework for the analysis: ontological, anthropological, ontical, epistemological, and pedagogical.     

Creating a caring practice environment through self-renewal

The soul of nursing is seeking the good of self and others through compassionate caring. Healing and caring for oneself is vital to have the energy to compassionately care for others. Nurse leaders have the moral responsibility to facilitate self-care, renewal, and healing in the organizational culture to foster caring and trusting relationships. Nurses who have a strong sense of self and caring will provide holistic patient care grounded in caring values.     

“以人为本的照护”理念的发展及在护理领域的运用

迄今为止，“以人为本的照护”尚未有统一的定义，但各个领域均开始使用不同方法运用该理念对个体进行照护。目前，以人为本的照护理念仍处在发展过程中，面对存在的发展障碍，需采取相应的措施进行改善，以便未来能更好地将其运用于实践。作者通过查阅相关文献，对“以人为本的照护”的概念、发展现状及未来展望等方面进行了阐述，以期为个体照护方面的研究提供参考。     

Towards clarification of the meaning of spirituality

BACKGROUND: Rhetoric about spirituality and nursing has greatly increased, as scientific-based approaches are not fully able to address many human problems, such as persistent pain. Despite the renewed interest and growing literature on spirituality, there is no consensus on a definition of this concept. There is also ambiguity on how this concept is incorporated into nursing practice, research, and education. AIM: This paper aims to contribute toward clarification of the meaning of spirituality in relevance to health and nursing today through a conceptual analysis process. METHODS: Information was obtained through dictionary definitions and electronic database searches of literature on spirituality spanning the past 30 years. The criteria for selection included scholarly articles and books with a definition of spirituality, and research studies that investigated the meaning of spirituality to individuals' health. A total of 76 articles and 19 books were retrieved for this analysis. FINDINGS: Spirituality is an inherent component of being human, and is subjective, intangible, and multidimensional. Spirituality and religion are often used interchangeably, but the two concepts are different. Spirituality involves humans' search for meaning in life, while religion involves an organized entity with rituals and practices about a higher power or God. Spirituality may be related to religion for certain individuals, but for others, such as an atheist, it may not be. CONCLUSION: In order to provide clarity and enhance understanding of this concept, this analysis delineates antecedents, attributes, constructed case examples, empirical referents, and consequences of spirituality. A proposed definition of spirituality emerged from this process, which may be applied broadly. Implications for nursing practice, education, and research are discussed.     

Professional caring: the moral dimension

The concept of caring, its intentions, actions and its achievements, as it relates to nursing is a concept on which many nurses'minds have been focused The concern and at times a major preoccupation with the need to explore and explain caring among the nursing body is a concern which is rooted in sociopolitical and cultural phenomena related to the evolution of nursing The need to explore and explain caring through philosophical discourse is a necessary and an ongoing part of this evolutionary process This paper represents an attempt to partake in such discourse More precisely, the paper undertakes an analysis of the concept of caring as it happens in both nonprofessional and in professional caring contexts and represents an attempt to characterize professional caring In an effort to do this the author considers the moral-ethical dimension of caring in the light of important theoretical positions on social morality When considered against these theories of social morality and against the professionally derived imperatives which guide caring actions, professional caring may be construed as a distinct mode of caring     

Nursing care of adolescents who have been sexually assaulted

Healing responses for adolescents who have been sexually assaulted involve nursing care centered on establishing safety, helping adolescents reconstruct the story of the assault, and restoring connection with the community and themselves [42]. Nurses partner with parents, school personnel, and other meaningful people in the lives of adolescents who have been sexually assaulted to create a physically and emotionally safe environment for the adolescent in the days, weeks, and months after an assault. Recovery involves being able to tell the story over and over again in a safe environment until it is clear that the assailant holds the blame for the assault, which was not sex but rather a crime of domination, and that the adolescent did what she or he needed to do to survive. In discerning ways to cope with the trauma of the assault, strengths are identified, appreciated, and nurtured. Nursing advocacy involves educating the adolescent and those around her or him on common reactions to sexual assault and what is needed in the recovery process. Nurses advocate for accommodations so that healing can occur and so that the well-being of the adolescent is not sacrificed for the prosecution of the offender. The major emphasis of nursing care is weaving together an understanding and caring community to surround the adolescent with nurturance and love. It is in the context of meaningful relationships that healing is maximized. Crisis brings with it the opportunity for immense growth. A caring nursing relationship creates the space in which adolescents can discover sources of spiritual and emotional strength that they can draw upon throughout their lives.     

A concept analysis of intimacy

This concept analysis examines how the concept of intimacy has been defined in the scholarly literature in order to determine what characteristics or necessary conditions exist that differentiate this phenomenon from all other phenomena. The objective of this concept analysis is to derive a theoretical definition of intimacy that can then be used to operationalize the concept for research. Intimacy is of significance to psychiatric nursing theory because (a) intimacy has been identified as being important to the psychosocial development of adults; (b) intimacy plays a developmental role in identity formation, through the consensual validation of personal worth by providing individuals with the opportunity to feel understood and accepted as they are, within the relationship; (c) research indicates that married couples reporting a deficiency or an absence of intimacy have a significantly higher proportion of symptoms of a nonpsychotic emotional illness; (d) failure to develop intimacy in relationships has been identified as one of the most common factors for seeking outpatient psychotherapy; and (e) intimacy has been identified as a key component in individuals' satisfaction with their social support. The theoretical definition for intimacy is this: a quality of a relationship in which the individuals must have reciprocal feelings of trust and emotional closeness toward each other and are able to openly communicate thoughts and feelings with each other. The conditions that must be met for intimacy to occur include reciprocity of trust, emotional closeness, and self-disclosure. As the literature does not uniformly incorporate physical intimacy as a necessary condition for the concept of intimacy, physical closeness was not incorporated into the definition.     

Concept analysis of forgiveness with a multi-cultural emphasis

AIM: This paper is a report of a concept analysis of forgiveness. BACKGROUND: Worldwide interest in and funding for forgiveness research has brought about a body of knowledge from many disciplines that could be clinically useful to nursing. At this time, nurse scholars are beginning to challenge one another to focus on this important area of inquiry. To date, however, most scholarship on forgiveness has been conducted in related disciplines, rather than in nursing. Conceptual and theoretical work is needed in nursing to promote knowledge development in this area. METHOD: The CINAHL, Medline and PsycInfo databases were searched for papers published between 1990 and 2007 using the keywords, forgiveness, forgive, or reconciliation in the title or abstract. The non-linear evolutionary process of concept analysis was used to identify the concept of interest, its origins, realm, attributes and context, characteristics, and implications. Forgiveness was also explored from an international multi-cultural perspective. An exemplar is included to illuminate the concept. A total of 34 scholarly works from a variety of disciplines were included in the analysis. FINDINGS: A definition of forgiveness emerged from the analysis, as well as a multi-cultural understanding of the concept. Three important attributes of forgiveness are that it is the relinquishing of a negative response, replacing the negative response with a benevolent response, and a process that occurs over time. Multi-cultural attributes centre on group harmony, re-establishing harmonious connections between people, and the morality of considering others as worthy of love and understanding. CONCLUSION: A multi-cultural understanding of forgiveness may provide the impetus for further theory development and research in nursing, and could be used to educate nurses on beginning interventions in this area.     

Care as a moral attitude in nursing.

The concept of care can be explained in various ways, and it can present a different meaning to each person. Nurses are increasingly aware that good nursing care consists of 'more' than the competent performance of a number of caring activities. For many nurses it is less clear what this 'more' means and what importance it has in nursing. This article will develop a view concerning care considered as a moral attitude. It is argued that care can be considered as a foundational normative concept in the ethics of the nursing profession. The aim is to clarify that nurses do not derive their specific caring identity just from the set of tasks that they perform but also from the way in which they commit themselves to the caring process.     

Creating healing environments in critical care units

The concept of healing environments is not new. The idea of creating an environment that would facilitate healing was popular over 2000 years ago, but it has been only recently that this concept has been applied to the design of hospitals and specifically to intensive care units. Although it is necessary to address the needs of the professional staff who are caring for seriously ill patients, it is also critical to include specific elements that will enhance the patients' healing process. It has been demonstrated that views of nature, natural light, soothing colors, therapeutic sounds, and the interaction of one's family can enhance the healing process. These elements important to a patient's healing process must be considered and balanced with the needs of health care providers in the design of critical care environments.     

Analysis of Integration in Nursing Science and Practice

PURPOSE: To clarify the definition of integration and to identify universal aspects of the experience of integration related to healing, health, and nursing care. DESIGN: An integrative review concept analysis method was used. Relevant reports were identified by a computer-assisted search using the keyword integration in CINAHL from 1966 to 2004 and by reviewing the reference lists of retrieved reports. The final sample included 56 reports; 36 were empirical and 20 were theoretical. METHODS: Data were extracted from primary sources on the definition of integration, aspects of the process, antecedents, consequences, and facilitators. Data display matrices were used and were iteratively compared to derive a process model of integration related to health. FINDINGS: A wide range of primary sources indicated that integration is an important aspect of healing or recovery from illness. Integration is defined as a complex person-environment interaction whereby new life experiences (i.e., illness) are assimilated into the self and activities of daily living, thereby contributing to overall life balance. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this analysis indicate the importance of the concept of integration to the science and practice of nursing. The process of integration appears to be a significant phase that occurs between a diagnosis of illness and subsequent physical and emotional healing.