Journal of advanced nursing
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Two nursing leaders, Madeleine Leininger and Jean Watson, have devoted their careers to studying and evolving the meaning of caring. The theme of caring as presented by each theorist was explored along with their views of the nature of nursing, use of theory development strategies, and their individual contributions to the development of nursing knowledge. Both identify nursing as a humanistic science, with the concept of caring being the central unifying domain of nursing. ⋯ For Leininger, caring must be placed in a cultural context since caring patterns can differ transculturally. Watson has focused on the philosophic (existential--phenomenological) and spiritual basis of caring and sees caring as the ethical and moral ideal of nursing. Both Leininger and Watson have demonstrated their artistry in their individual portraits of caring and in their contributions to the development of nursing knowledge.
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The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived needs and anxiety levels of adult family members of intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The study was conducted over a 3-month period, on a convenience sample of 166 subjects selected from the total adult population of family members visiting an ICU patient in three Sudbury hospitals. Data were gathered using a self-report questionnaire, the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) and Spielberger's State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). ⋯ Inferential statistics demonstrated that family needs and situational anxiety were significantly related (P less than 0.0002). Furthermore, worries, trait anxiety, age and family needs explained 38% of the variation of situational anxiety. As well, spiritual needs and situational anxiety explained 33% of the variation of family needs.