Hudson G R
Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 1993 Mar;9(1):55-61. doi: 10.1016/0964-3397(93)90010-u.
This paper explores the emergence of nursing in the mid 19th century as a 'caring' or 'curing' occupation. Nursing evolved as the discipline of caring whilst cure was the doctor's domain. Important though caring was, it was perceived as women's work and therefore of low status and considerably less powerful than the male dominated curing role. The definitions and practice of caring have changed since the Victorian era, but it continues to be perceived by many as secondary to medicine's curing role. The paper explores this issue in the speciality of coronary care nursing and also whether coronary care nursing is more 'cure' than 'care' orientated. Coronary care nursing began as a technological and physical speciality--more 'cure'-orientated than 'care'-orientated and this has led to the specialty being especially attractive to male nurses. However, since the purpose of CCU began as the prevention of death, and the possibility of death is an inescapable part of the nurses' work, the ability to be empathic is essential. The paper concludes that coronary care nursing appears to contain both 'curing' elements (technological/physical) and 'caring' elements (empathy), both of which are practised by many coronary care nurses. The 'cure' elements of physical observation, treatment and technological maintenance may still be perceived by some as of primary importance, however both technology and empathy emerge as essential and equal components in the provision of quality coronary care.
