Discovering common ground: the future of health, healing, and environment.

An ongoing project addressing relationships among and between nursing, health, healing, and environment gave rise to a future search conference. The conference goal was to describe a preferred future for health, healing, and environment and to devise action plans to realize it. Direction and focus were provided by the questions, "How do we want to be cared for?" and "How do we want to give care?" Outcomes, derived consensually, include a mission statement, long- and short-term goals, and a minimalist organizational structure.

Earth caring.

This article explores the interrelationships of environment, nursing, and caring and challenges the readers, particularly in light of the ecology crisis, to examine the apparent anthropocentric emphasis of current human care and caring theory. The intent is to engage all nurses in thoughtful study and reflection and in fruitful, friendly dialogue.

A theory of protection: parents as sex educators.

A theory of protection was proposed to organize and explain the dynamic interactions between parents and children as they relate to sex education. Sixteen mothers were interviewed and the data analyzed through the constant comparative method. The optimal goal of sex education was determined to be self-protection, that is, attainment by the child of personal boundary control in order to function positively in society while maintaining his or her own values. The processes of sex education are governed by parents' perceptions of providing protection for the child through the identification and control of boundaries. Major variables moderating the quality of protection are mutuality, knowledge, and values. Using the theory of protection, suggestions are offered for clinical practice, parent teaching, and further investigation.