Does perioperative nursing include caring?

Does perioperative nursing include caring? Does it show evidence of a theoretical base of caring? Yes, most definitely. We touch; we listen; we hold; we act as advocates. The challenge is to articulate these actions in our body of knowledge and practice. What would an outcome statement on perioperative caring look like? As perioperative critical paths are developed, how will perioperative caring outcomes be expressed? These are the challenges perioperative nurses must meet to demonstrate the necessity of the perioperative nursing role in providing humanistic care in the OR.