Holism, care and nursing: points of reflection during the evolution of a philosophy of nursing statement.

An exploration of the diversity and complexity of perspectives from which holism and care can legitimately be constructed. The preparation of a document for accreditation of a proposed pre-registration Bachelor of Nursing award was the impetus for this exploration. School members deemed holism and care to be central to our philosophy of nursing statement, however, difficulty arose in determining a shared understanding of these notions. Through reflective deliberation and a review of the literature, the authors attempted to unravel the range of meanings given to these problematic terms.