ABSTRACT
The identification of behaviors that patients perceive as caring helps to emphasize what patients expect from their caregivers. Patients have always been known to value how effective nurses are in performing tasks, but, clearly, patients also value the effective dimension of nursing care. As a nurse begins clinical practice, it is important to consider how patients perceive caring and what are the best approaches to provide care. This study aims to: Identify the most and least important nurse caring behaviors as perceived by nurses and patients. The study was conducted in medical, surgical and neurological units in Egypt (Main University Hospital in Alexandria, Benha and Jordan University Hospitals) The subjects of this study comprised 90 Jordanian and Egyptian nurse in the previously mentioned settings, as well as one hundred adult patients from each country . Data were collected using The Caring Assessment Instrument (care Q) which is a questionnaire used to identify the nurses' and patients' perceptions of the most and least important nurses caring behaviors. It provides evidence that caring can be addressed on a scientific level and must be examined at the behavioral level. Results of the present study revealed that the patient and nurses in Egypt had significantly different perceptions of the nurse caring behavior subscales regarding accessible, explain and facilitate, comfort, anticipates and monitors and follows through. While in the Jordan, the difference was found to be related to comfort and trusting relationship, perceived by both nurses and patients.