An Exploration of the Nature of Caring Relationships in the Writings of Florence Nightingale

The purpose of this qualitative, historical field study was to identify the nature and attributes of caring relationships as depicted in the writings of Florence Nightingale. Latent content analysis was the methodology used for the discovery and analysis of words, ideas, and themes from selected Nightingale works. Five themes were identified that represented a caring relationship: attend to, attention to, nurture, competent, and genuine. These themes are congruent with Nightingale's threefold concept of nursing. Watson's carative factors were used to cross-validate the results. The findings of this study indicate that the phenomenon of caring relationships in nursing has been a part of our professional language since Victorian times. Historical research provides a sense of connectedness to nursing's past and contributes to the ongoing education of nurses and further development of the nursing profession.