Katie Eriksson

Caring Science in a New Key

A reorientation is going on in caring science. It could be called a new key characterized by more humanistically oriented thinking, which gives new significance to caring science. The sounding board of the new key is to be found in its ontological core. Its progress depends on whether we will succeed in laying bare the core of caring and developing its fundamental concepts and main theory. We need to regain the hermeneutical approach to penetrate into the core. Caring today needs this knowledge to help the patient in an increasingly complex world.

Understanding the Importance of Values and Moral Attitudes in Nursing Care in Preserving Human Dignity

The purpose of this investigation was to explore when nursing becomes an art, and to develop a theory/model of nursing as art. The overall design of the investigation was qualitative, and phenomenological-hermeneutic. The five substantial categories in the theory/model are: Invitation and confirmation, encounter, values, moral attitude and demeanor, the act of good will, and aesthetic communication. One main finding of this nursing investigation based on the caring perspective was that values and a thoroughly moral attitude and demeanor are central when nursing becomes an art.

The Ethics of the Caring Conversation

The aim of this study was to explore the ethical foundations for a caring conversation. The analysis is based on the ethics of Paul Ricoeur and deals with questions such as what kind of person the nurse ought to be and how she or he engages in caring conversations with suffering others. According to Ricoeur, ethics (the aim of an accomplished life) has primacy over morality (the articulation of aims in norms). At the ethical level, self-esteem and autonomy were shown to be essential for a person (nurse) to act with respect and responsibility. The ethical relationship of a caring conversation was found to be asymmetrical, because of the passivity inflicted by suffering. This asymmetry was found to be potentially unethical if not balanced with reciprocity. In the ethical context, the caring conversation is one in which the nurse makes room through the ethos of caritas for a suffering person to regain his or her self-esteem, and thus makes a good life possible.

Women’s Lived Experiences of Pregnancy: A Tapestry of Joy and Suffering

The phenomenological study of the lived experiences of pregnancy described in this article is part of a Finnish caring science research program. Eighty interviews with 40 women combined with nonparticipant observation were analyzed according to Colaizzi. Pregnant women wishing for a perfect child want to promote the health of their unborn baby, no longer take health for granted, and try to change their health behavior. Their altered mode of being involves body changes, variations in mood, and worries. The striving to achieve family communion is seen in the evolving significance of the baby; in dreams, hopes, and plans; and in changing relationships. In relation to Eriksson’s ontological health model, the joy and suffering in pregnancy are based on being there for another. Taking seriously the women’s experiences and the hidden questions that reveal suffering in both lay and professional caring might prevent the serious postpartum misery of motherhood.

Documentation of Individualized Patient Care: a qualitative metasynthesis

The aim of this study was to increase understanding of how individual patient care and the ethical principles prescribed for nursing care are implemented in nursing documentation. The method used was a metasynthesis of the results of 14 qualitative research reports. The results indicate that individualized patient care is not visible in nurses’ documentation of care. It seems that nurses describe their tasks more frequently than patients’ experiences of their care. The results also show that the structure of nursing documentation and the forms or manner of recording presupposed by the organization may prevent individual recording of patient care. In order to obtain visibility for good patient-centred and ethical nursing care, an effort should be made to influence how the content of nursing care is documented and made an essential part of individual patient care. If the content of this documentation does not give an accurate picture of care, patients’ right to receive good nursing care may not be realized.

The patient's narrative of suffering: a path to health?

The aim of this interpretative research synthesis was to develop a theoretical understanding of how a narrative approach in a caring conversation enables the patient to understand and find meaning in suffering, and how this in turn may be a path to health. The material consisted of 23 articles published between 1990 and 1997 in caring and nursing journals. The synthesis is summed up in a model for narrative understanding in a caring conservation consisting of three phases in which the patient is encouraged:(i) to tell stories describing why the suffering has come about, how things are at present, and what is wanted and needed; (ii)to make up a narrative of suffering that follows the actual course of events; and (iii) to reconnect to their life history, that is to reflect on the point or lesson to be learned in order to achieve a new wholeness. The model may be linked with and used in the clinical setting, and it also raises questions for further research in the area of communication in health care.

Becoming Through Suffering—The Path to Health and Holiness

The mission of caring is the alleviation of human suffering and the serving of life and health. This article addresses continually relevant questions within the field of caring science: What is holiness? Which path do humans take to entity and holiness—the path of health and suffering? and What is the significance of caring? Humans’ inner ethos, the fundamental value of life and ability to adhere to ethos, forms the dynamic movement toward entity and holiness. Humans bear within themselves an everlasting desire for love and communion, to be able to participate in the “original drama.”

Movement as a basic concept in physiotherapy – A human science approach

The development of scientific knowledge of physiotherapy (PT) has advanced significantly. Research is mostly conducted within a biomedical paradigm and theory-building is underpinned by a positivist paradigm. The basic philosophical questions and concepts are not much reflected on, and PT lacks an established theoretical frame. The first step in theory development is to define the basic concepts. The aim of this professional theoretical paper was to reflect on and describe the concept of movement in PT based on earlier research as a standpoint for a broader and deeper understanding of the complex nature of PT reality inspired by a model for concept analysis developed in caring science [Eriksson K 2010 Concept determination as part of the development of knowledge in caring science. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 24: 2–11]. The concept of movement in PT is conceptualized as complex and multidimensional. The understanding of human movement in PT is based on five categories described in the paper. The conceptualization of movement includes acting in relation to the socio-cultural environment, inter-dynamic aspects, as well as personal, intradynamic aspects. This paper argues for the need to further develop the concept of movement in PT within a human science approach. A deeper understanding is needed as a basis for understanding complex clinical practice as well as in shaping the PT discipline.

Intercultural caring – an abductive model

The aim of this study was to increase the understanding of caring from a transcultural perspective and to develop the first outline of a theory. The theoretical perspective includes Erikssons theory of caritative caring. Texts on caring by the transcultural theorists, including Campinha-Bacote, Kim-Godwin, Leininger and Ray, are analysed using content analysis. The overall theme that resulted from this analysis was that caring is a complex whole. Three main categories of caring emerged: inner caring, outer caring and the goal of caring. Inner caring consists of caring is a relationship, and caring and culture are seen in different dimensions. Outer caring refers to caring affected by educational, administrative and social and other structures. The goal of caring consists of caring leading to change towards health and well-being. The main categories include categories and subcategories that are compared with Erikssons theory of caritative caring. A model for intercultural caring is generated abductively. Caring and culture appear in three dimensions: caring as ontology independent of context; caring as a phenomenon emphasised differently in different cultures; caring as nursing care activities is unique. Caring alleviates suffering and leads to health and well-being. This model describes caring from an intercultural perspective as a mutual but asymmetric relationship between the nurse and the patient, including the patients family and community. The patients cultural background and acculturation influence caring. The cultural background, cultural competence and organisation of the nurse also influence caring. Caring is seen as a complex whole. This study integrates Campinha-Bacotes, Kim-Godwins, Leiningers and Rays views of caring with Erikssons caritative caring and presents caring from a transcultural perspective in a new way as a model for intercultural caring, which can benefit nursing care, education, research and administration.

The Phenomenon of Confirmation: An Aspect of Nursing as an Art

This article presents a theory model, “When Nursing Becomes an Art,” and discusses one part of the results, the substantial category invitation and confirmation. Researchers wanted to answer these superordinate questions: (a) What characterizes nursing as an art? (b) What does it take to practice nursing as an art? and (c) What does the practice of nursing as an art result in? The questions were answered through (a) a discussion of theory, consisting of a review of the reference literature on caring and nursing; (b) a semantic segment, consisting of a semantic analysis of the concept of art; and (c) an empirical segment, consisting of observations and qualitative research interviews with patients and nurses. Researchers developed the results into a theory model. The basic categories of the theory model are (a) invitation and confirmation, (b) encounter, (c) actualization of values, (d) the act of good will, and (e) aesthetic communication.