CARING IN FULL CIRCLE - THE LEGACY OF HONEYCUTT,EDITH

Edith Folsom Honeycutt, now retired, is the only staff nurse in the Un ited Stales to be honored by a funded chair at a major university. In 1990, ct chair of oncology nursing was established in her name at Emor y University by the Metropolitan Atlanta Community Foundation A life h istory method was used to examine the professional life of Edith Honey cutt through interviews and with a locus group of nurses who had worke d with her. Three themes emerged. teaching by showing; expecting excel lent practice; and investing in each other. A synthesized overall them e of ''caring in lull circle'' was identified as the core descriptor. The findings of this study demonstrate how clinical education and expe rtise are shared and learned among staff nurses. Findings also suggest how nursing knowledge can be, and is, developed at the bedside. The c onnection between Emery University and Edith Honeycutt demonstrates an enduring link between a university setting and a practice arena.