Changing to a caring paradigm for teaching and learning.

Nephrology nurses have tended to use behavioral strategies to teach people about their diseases and treatments. However, in this article, nurses are encouraged to shift to a caring paradigm for teaching individuals with end stage renal disease. The key concepts in this paradigm include: caring, phenomenology, multiple realities, empowerment, and health promotion. Specific suggestions for planning teaching and learning activities, and evaluating learning in the new paradigm are provided.