Humanistic caring, a nursing competency : modelling a metamorphosis from students to accomplished nurses

Background Most nursing regulatory bodies expect nurses to learn to be humanistic and caring. However, the learning process and the developmental stages of this competency remain poorly documented in the nursing literature. Methods The study used interpretive phenomenology, and 26 participants (students and nurses) were individually interviewed. Benner's (1994) method was adapted and concretised into a five-phase phenomenological analysis to assist with intergroup comparisons. Results Critical milestones and developmental indicators were identified for each of the five stages of the ‘humanistic caring’ competency. Satisfaction and meaning at work seemed closely connected to the development of ‘humanistic caring’. Links emerged between the development of ‘humanistic caring’ and three other competencies. Conclusions Nurse educators might insist on the fact that ‘humanistic caring’ goes beyond nurse–patient communication and that it is integrated in nursing care. The findings highlight that nurses' working conditions should be improved in order to uphold humanistic caring after graduation