- Analyzing Caring
Once of the concepts that can be analyzed in the nursing profession is the concept of caring. While there are many concepts that are used in defining nursing, caring is an enigma because, in essence, nurses are caregivers. While this is the case, caring can be analyzed in so many ways, including a close examination of the caring theory – a conceptualization of care as offered by nursing and other caregivers.
According to Ranheim, Kärner, and Berterö, the most effectual method of analyzing care is the simultaneous concept analysis method (pg. 78), which entails the following steps.
- Development of a consensus group – a team of researchers and professionals with precise expert knowledge on matters of care.
- Selection of the concept – while nursing is the concept under analysis, there are many issues that need to be analyzed under the same.
- Refinement of the concept clarification method – here the consolidation of historical knowledge and qualitative analyses is done.
- Carrying out the clarification and refinement of the particular elements or determining the defining attributes.
- Development of validity matrices – entails the gathering of both similarities and differences between the concept under scrutiny and other essential concepts.
- Reexamination of validity matrices using data and literature.
- Developing a process model that acts as a conceptual framework.
- Reviewing and submitting the results from the SCA.
- Most Critical Step In Theory Development
According to Ranhein et al (pg. 80), all steps are equally important in the development of theory. However, in my opinion, the fifth step – determining the defining attributes – is the most essential. The main reason why I think this step is the most significant is because it opens up the concept, to reveal the fine details that make up the concept. For instance, in analyzing the concept of caring, it is only through this step that caregivers and researchers will discover that caring is not only a concept, but also an attitude and value that defines the nursing profession. While all other steps are important, this one remains paramount because it is at this point that the expert knowledge, data, and existing literature are used to clarify various issues (Ranheim et al. 81).
Works Cited
Ranheim, Albertine, Anita Kärner, and Carina Berterö. "Caring Theory And Practice-Entering A Simultaneous Concept Analysis." Nursing Forum 47.2 (2012): 78-90. Academic Search Premier. Web. 26 Jan. 2014
