ILLUMINATING ENVIRONMENTAL-INFLUENCES ON WOMENS CARING

Current health care reform is resulting in increasing demands on women to care for others. Little is known about the process of women's cari ng or the effects of caring on women. This feminist grounded theory st udy resulted in a substantive theory that explains how women manage th e problematic aspects of caring and explicates the ways that environme nt influences women's responses to caring demands. Of particular conce rn is the evidence that the existing social structure creates and inte nsifies problems for women caring. The discussion considers the implic ations of the findings for health policy and nursing practice.