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Embracing “The Model of Compassion for Humanising Nursing Care” as a Vehicle to Enhance Contemporary Nurse Education - NET2017 Conference

Compassion is the most precious asset of nursing (Schantz 2007; Rafferty 2011) originating from theological traditions of caring for the sick (Shelly and Miller 2006; Kapelli 2008 a b; Armstrong 2007) and attributed to professional nursing through the influences of Florence Nightingale (Bingham 1979; Dolan Fitzpatrick and Herrman 1983; Dingwall Rafferty and Webster 1988; Widerquist 1992). However over recent times the notion of compassion has been questioned (Burdett Trust for Nursing 2006; Mooney 2009) due to an emerging range of individual reports of negative experiences in the care context (The Patients Association 2009; The Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Inquiry 2010 a b; The Parliamentary and Health Care Ombudsman 2011; The Patients Association 2011). Subsequently a political and professional response has ensued to reaffirm that compassion continues to be a core philosophy of nursing (Department of Health (DH) 2010 a b; Royal College of Nursing (RCN) 2010; DH 2012). Despite this reaffirmation there is limited empirical research across the international nursing arena to elucidate what compassion involves (Sanghavi 2006; Perry 2009; Dewar and Mackay 2010; Van der Cingel 2011; Kneafsey et al. 2016) particularly from the exclusive perceptions of individuals who have personal experience of nursing care (Skaff et al. 2003; Kret 2011; Bramley and Matiti 2014; Sinclair et al. 2016). A more comprehensive understanding is therefore required (Olshansky 2007) in order to enable nurse educators to implement appropriate educational strategies which support nurses to embrace compassion as an integral dimension of contemporary professional practice.

d2st4s3_collette_straughair.pdf
13/09/2017
d2st4s3_collette_straughair.pdf View Document

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