Is caring in nursing an impossible ideal for today's practicing nurse.

This qualitative study's objective was to examine the nurse/patient relationship in the present acute healthcare delivery system in 3 countries: the United States, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The hypothesis was that both nurse and patient were vulnerable and in need of a fundamental considerateness. The subjects were 9 female and 1 male white nurses who had a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent and less than 5 years' practice experience. Critical social theory was the method utilized, which permitted the researcher to examine the underlying power structure, its barriers, silences, and how the nurses were coping. The themes were "being normal," "little things," the hardness of nursing, practice organization, malcontent, and power and control. The conclusion is that nurses are passionate about their work, they are proud of what they do, and they try to maintain the highest standard of care, but they are tired. All have a silent cry for considerateness.