In recent years there has been an increasing awareness in nursing rese
arch of the importance of accumulation of knowledge related particular
ly to the art of nursing. Because of this, nurses are endeavouring to
understand more comprehensively the meanings given to central phenomen
a such as caring, comfort and reassurance, and also to research them w
ith methodologies in such a way that these meanings are not destroyed,
distorted or decontextualized. Gadamer's hermeneutic philosophy may p
rove to be a valuable approach in enabling nurses to gain a deeper and
fuller understanding of these phenomena which are central to nursing
practice.