Nursing is placed within a humanistic framework in Paterson and Zderad's theory, which defines nursing as a nurturing response aimed at well-being. Three constructs of nursing, which describe the why and how of nursing practice, are identified: `comfort', `clinical' and `all-at-once'.

In this volume, O'Connor explores the origin of the theory and its underlying assumptions. She also examines the major concepts of the metaparadigm of nursing, including the nursing process.