A nursing academic perspective concerning the care environment within the complexity paradigm – a descriptive study

Abstract

This is a qualitative study whose objective was to learn how nursing academics comprehend the care environment, and apply and analysis according to the complexity paradigm. The subjects of the study were undergraduate nursing students at a federal institution of higher education. Data was collected from September through November of 2005, through interviews guided by the question, “What does care environment mean to you?” The data was analyzed in accordance with reflective literature, according to the organization and interpretation of speech. From the subjects’ responses, six categories were established: care environment, interactive environment, structured environment, therapeutic environment, non-therapeutic environment, and complex environment. For nursing academics, the care environment is dynamic and related to the care process. Comprehending the care environment demands a capacity to amplify one’s vision beyond the peculiarities and characteristics of one’s environment, as these multiple relationships make one’s environment a complex environment.