Exploring Disgust in Nursing: A Conceptual Analysis

Aims: The aim of this concept analysis was to investigate and establish a comprehensive understanding of the concept of disgust in nursing and its potential influence on providing nursing care. Design: Concept analysis. Methods: The chosen methodology for the conceptual analysis of disgust in the field of nursing was Walker and Avant’s framework. In order to obtain relevant literature, meticulous exploration was conducted on databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. To identify pertinent studies, the search terms “disgust, ” “disgust in nursing, ” and “disgust AND healthcare ” were utilized. The timeframe for the inclusion of studies in the search encompassed the years 1941–2022. Results: This concept analysis revealed a consistent definition of disgust in nursing. Disgust in nursing is an unpleasant feeling that a nurse experiences after seeing, hearing, thinking, or contacting a disgusting stimulus in different situations. Then, a specific facial response, visceral response, and behavioral response are formed in the nurse. In the field of nursing, disgust arises following the main stimuli of disgust, stimuli reminiscent of animals, stimuli of interpersonal communication, and stimuli of moral disgust. Conclusions: The present study identified different types of disgust in nursing. Therefore, it is recommended that nursing managers, by holding educational programs, familiarize nurses with disgust stimuli and situations and teach effective coping strategies with disgust. It is even better to start these trainings at the level of nursing faculty and to include subjects related to disgust in the curriculum of nursing students.