The Meanings of Invitation in Caring and Nursing Research—A Scoping Review

Invitation is a fundamental concept in caring science and a central caring act in health-care practice. Yet studies show that patients experience invitations as unwelcoming. This scoping review reveals that invitations are linked to ethics, a caring relationship, and offered by both health-care personnel and patients. Patients wait for an invitation to a caring relationship where they can feel safe and whole and experience presence and respect. A patient's invitation gives health-care personnel permission to enter a sensitive area between them. Health-care personnel should recognize patients' needs and their invitation should communicate responsibility and good will.