Exploring person‐centredness: a qualitative meta‐synthesis of four studies

Scand J Caring Sci; 2010; 24; 620–634
Exploring person‐centredness: a qualitative meta‐synthesis of four studies Person‐centredness as a concept is becoming more prominent and increasingly central within some research literature, approaches to practice and as a guiding principle within some health and social care policy. Despite the increasing body of literature into person‐centred nursing (PCN), there continues to be a ‘siloed’ approach to its study, with few studies integrating perspectives from across nursing specialties. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a study undertaken to explore if the secondary analysis of findings from four different and unrelated research studies (that did not have the main aim of researching person‐centredness) could inform our understanding of person‐centred nursing. A qualitative meta‐synthesis was undertaken of the data derived from the four unrelated research studies undertaken with different client groups with long‐term health conditions. A hermeneutic and interpretative approach was used to guide the analysis of data and framed within a particular person‐centred nursing framework. Findings suggest ‘professional competence’ (where competence is understood more broadly than technical competence) and knowing ‘self’ are important prerequisites for person‐centred nursing. Characteristics of the care environment were also found to be critical. Despite the existence of expressed person‐centred values, care processes largely remained routinised, ritualistic and affording few opportunities for the formation of meaningful relationships. Person‐centred nursing needs to be understood in a broader context than the immediate nurse–patient/family relationship. The person‐centred nursing framework has utility in helping to understand the dynamics of the components of person‐centredness and overcoming the siloed nature of many current perspectives.