Table of Contents
What are the four components of care?
A care component is defined as “a cluster of elements that represent four unique patterns of clinical nursing practice: health behavioral, functional, physiological and psychological.” To achieve this the enduring values of nursing and care must underpin our work. Our draft vision was underpinned by six fundamental values: care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment – with six areas of action to support professionals and care staff to deliver this excellent care. Why were the 6 Cs of nursing introduced? The 6 Cs – care, compassion, courage, communication, commitment, competence – are a central part of ‘Compassion in Practice’, which was first established by NHS England Chief Nursing Officer, Jane Cummings, in December 2017. Duty to Care is actually an umbrella term that encompasses the following areas: Inclusion, Diversity, Mental Health, Well-being and Safeguarding.
What are the four elements of care?
Let us turn now to the four elements of care (atten- tiveness, responsibility, competence, and responsive- ness). These dovetail neatly with the four phases. Thus through being attentive one becomes aware of needs. It’s about establishing an individual care pathway for each person based on their needs and wishes, whatever health requirements they may have. It is about seamlessly adjusting to each person’s pace and helping them to preserve their abilities in a specially adapted setting where they feel safe and confident. These are the guiding principles that help to put the interests of the individual receiving care or support at the centre of everything we do. Examples include: individuality, independence, privacy, partnership, choice, dignity, respect and rights. This is called person-centred care. Person-centred care is based on principles. (A principle is a particular approach to doing something.) The principles of care include choice, dignity, independence, partnership, privacy, respect, rights, safety, equality and inclusion, and confidentiality. The six C’s of care are care, compassion, courage, communication, commitment and competence and they are referred to as the six C’s because each value begins with the letter C.