Enabling as a caring behavior?

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Is someone able to explain to me how enabling can be defined as a caring behavior, i.e. as a positive behavior? My professor is asking for positive enabling constructs we provided our patients with, and the only definition of enabling I can find is in a negative sense!

Please help!

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Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.

Here's a thesaurus entry for the word "enable". If you replace the word 'enabling' with one of these words, maybe it will give you a different perspective and better allow you to answer your question.

[TABLE=class: the_content]

[TR]

[TD]Main Entry:[/TD]

[TD]enable  [en-ey-buhl] Show IPA

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Part of Speech:[/TD]

[TD]verb[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Definition:[/TD]

[TD]allow, authorize[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Synonyms:[/TD]

[TD]accredit, approve, capacitate, commission, condition, empower, endow, facilitate, fit,give power, implement, invest, let, license, make possible, permit, prepare, provide themeans, qualify, ready, sanction, set up, warrant[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Antonyms:[/TD]

[TD]block, disallow, halt, hinder, inhibit, oppose, prevent, stop[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Yes, think of "enabling" as .... "making it possible for somebody to do what they want to do" ... helping them to "be able" to do what they want to do. It's actually a neutral term. However, in the last few years, we have tended to use it more in the negative way than in the positive way.

For example, what are the things that we can do to "enable" an elderly person to continue to live in their own home?

Does that help? Does my post plus Ashley's post "enable" you to complete the assignment now?

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