title: Show Your Stuff and Watch Your Tone: Nurses' Caring Behaviors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although it is perceived as essential, documentation of caring behaviors executed by nurses is rarely done. To facilitate what is important to patients and their family members, we need to understand what behaviors are perceived as caring or not caring.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore perceptions of nurses' caring behaviors among intubated patients and their family members.
  
  
  METHODS
  A phenomenological study of 14 patients who were intubated, restrained, sedated, and received pain medication in an acute cardiovascular intensive care unit. The 14 patients and 8 of their family members were interviewed about their perceptions of this experience. A semistructured interview guide was used. Data were analyzed by using an inductive method consistent with qualitative research.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Themes that emerged most often were providing information, providing reassurance, demonstrating proficiency, and being present. Other behaviors identified as caring behaviors were nurses giving guidance and using a soothing tone of voice. Behavior that was contrary to the perception of caring appeared as isolated incidents. These included negative attitude, interrupting sleep, not receiving information, and poor pain management.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When patients and family members are asked directly about their experience, valuable insight is gained into what they perceive as caring and what contributes to recovery as perceived by those in crisis and in high-intensity medical settings. Capturing these data is elemental to designing high-quality, safe environments that facilitate healing.
authors.affiliation: Ruth A. Weyant is a staff registered nurse in the cardiac intensive care unit, Medical Center of the Rockies, Loveland, Colorado. Lory Clukey is an associate professor, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado. Melanie Roberts is a critical care clinical nurse specialist, Medical Center of the Rockies. Ann Henderson is an education nurse specialist, Medical Center of the Rockies. ruthie.weyant@uchealth.org.
authors.forename: Ruth A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Weyant
authors.affiliation: Ruth A. Weyant is a staff registered nurse in the cardiac intensive care unit, Medical Center of the Rockies, Loveland, Colorado. Lory Clukey is an associate professor, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado. Melanie Roberts is a critical care clinical nurse specialist, Medical Center of the Rockies. Ann Henderson is an education nurse specialist, Medical Center of the Rockies.
authors.forename: Lory
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Clukey
authors.affiliation: Ruth A. Weyant is a staff registered nurse in the cardiac intensive care unit, Medical Center of the Rockies, Loveland, Colorado. Lory Clukey is an associate professor, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado. Melanie Roberts is a critical care clinical nurse specialist, Medical Center of the Rockies. Ann Henderson is an education nurse specialist, Medical Center of the Rockies.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Ruth A. Weyant is a staff registered nurse in the cardiac intensive care unit, Medical Center of the Rockies, Loveland, Colorado. Lory Clukey is an associate professor, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado. Melanie Roberts is a critical care clinical nurse specialist, Medical Center of the Rockies. Ann Henderson is an education nurse specialist, Medical Center of the Rockies.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Henderson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D064646:Cardiovascular Nursing; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology*; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000523:psychology*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires