Healing Through Communication : The Practice of Caring

Montgomery offers a theory of caring, grounded in both clinical practice and theory, that advances caring as an intrinsic part of nursing. Demonstrating the depth and complexity of caring communication, she describes the qualities and behavioral manifestations needed to communicate caring to the patient, while admitting the emotional risks facing caregivers. A model is presented which describes the support necessary within the health care system to sustain this level of communication and to help caregivers cope with these emotional demands.

Advancing caring as an intrinsic part of nursing, the author of this volume offers a theory of caring that is grounded in both clinical practice and existing theory. Author Carol Leppanen Montgomery describes the qualities and behavioral manifestations the caregiver needs to communicate caring and the unique qualities of the health care system that shape the communication of caring. She then lauds transformative effects of caring while admitting the emotional risks caregivers undertake. Finally, a model is presented that describes the support necessary to sustain this level of communication and to help caregivers cope with the emotional demands of caring.

Demonstrating the depth and complexity of caring communication, Healing Through Communication is a valuable resource for caregivers in all the helping disciplines, especially nursing, allied health, and social work.

"This is an exceptional piece of writing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and heartily recommend it . . . . Is a book on this topic needed? Absolutely. Too often we make assumptions about the nature of caring, how it is learned, expressed, or enhanced. The placement of caring within a framework of relational communications is an extremely helpful way to visualize, teach, and support this phenomenon . . . . The strengths of this text are many, but briefly, I most appreciate the conceptual focus and placing of caring as a tangible, describable, communications phenomenon; the comprehensive treatment of the subject . . . and the many detailed exemplars of caring from a variety of caregiver roles and settings."

--Mary Aukerman, Ph.D., R.N., Director of Nursing Education and Research,

Shadyside Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

"Healing Through Communication takes the concept of practice to a deeper level of understanding, experiencing, and living. The unique focus of this work is the way Dr. Montgomery places the caring-healing relationship as central to nursing education and practice."

--Jean Watson, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., University of Colorado Health Sciences Center

"This fine qualitative research report presents information about an essential topic of interest to educators, academicians, and clinicians working in the helping professions. The information presented would also be useful in assisting lay or volunteer helpers work with persons in need . . . . The book is an important work and adds significantly to the knowledge of caring . . . . I believe that this is a benchmark effort."

--Sylvia A. McSkimming, Ph.D., R.N., Associate Director of Nursing Research and Education,

St. Vincent Hospital & Medical Center, Portland, Oregon