Abstract
This development project outlines reflections on nursing care among nurses and nurse assistants on a urology ward. The purpose of the project was to get an overview of the prevailing views on nursing care. We invited the ward staff to interviews in special focus groups to reflect on nursing care in the urology department. In connection with this activity, Dorothea Orem's self-care theory in nursing was presented. Three focus group meetings were tape recorded and content-analysed. Our interpretation of the results indicates that ward personnel should be aware of their own behaviour. Furthermore, it was clearly indicated that patience is an important aspect of nursing care. It is also important that the patient is informed and participates in his or her own care. It is desirable to empower the patient and promote self-care. Moreover, our general attitude towards our fellowman is considered to affect our behaviour in nursing care. In order to render the care we wish to, there must be time for reflection an clinical supervision in nursing. The results of the project can be interpreted to mean that the basic common principle to follow in the urology department is that good nursing care is the care that the individual patient requires and that the needs of the patient should govern nursing activities.