An evolutionary concept analysis of “patients’ values”

Mehri Karimi-Dehkordi, Jude Spiers, Alexander M. Clark

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Articlepeer-review

    7 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Background: Patients' values are everywhere and nowhere in nursing: frequently invoked and associated with effective nursing care but seldom explicitly defined or subject to dedicated analysis. Clarification of the concept of patients’ values is pivotal because respecting and supporting patients’ values are widely recognized as crucial for ethical nursing care. Despite this and the pervasive employment of the term patients’ values in theories, approaches, and clinical guidelines, the concept remains ambiguous. Purpose: We sought to understand the key elements of the concept by investigating its use in theoretical and empirical literature. Method: This study used Rodgers’ evolutionary concept analysis approach. Findings: We found that values are core individual beliefs that function in hierarchical systems; however, in the context of disease, the priority assigned to values by the individual may change. This is important, given that values play a foundational role in health-related decisions, such as in the context of chronic diseases. Discussion: Values are influenced by both individual intrinsic needs and the social context, but importantly, are involved in guiding decision-making. The attributes of the values may vary according to the context of the disease, the type of disease, and the decision at hand.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)523-539
    Number of pages17
    JournalNursing Outlook
    Volume67
    Issue number5
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Sep. 2019

    Keywords

    • Beliefs
    • Concept analysis
    • Decision making
    • Disease
    • Ethical nursing care
    • Evolutionary
    • Needs
    • Patients’ values

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