Patients', nurses', and physicians' perceptions of nurses' caring behaviors.

The purpose of this study was to identify how patients, nurses and physicians in a coronary care setting rank the importance of different nurse behaviors related to caring. The study was descriptive and used Q Methodology characterized by a forced choice format and priority rankings. Analysis of the mean scores for each subset of subjects revealed two items within the top five for all three subgroups. Comparison of this studies findings with previous studies showed similarities among patient rankings but little agreement among nurses regarding what constitutes caring behavior. Implications for practice, administration, research and education are identified.