Abstract
Many nursing theorists claim caring as the aspect of nursing that differentiates it from other health care professions. Newman et al defined the focus of nursing as "the study of caring in the human health experience," yet there is little consensus among nurses about the validity of this statement. The purpose of this article is to explore the concept of caring as it has been defined by various nursing scholars and to determine whether the focus of nursing knowledge development can appropriately be defined as "the study of caring in the human health experience."