Development of a theoretical construct for risk and vulnerability from six empirical studies

Abstract

The concepts of risk and vulnerability are frequently the subject of nursing scholarship but lack semantic and conceptual clarity in the nursing literature. Using empirical evidence from 6 research studies, the authors define the concepts of risk and vulnerability, apply shared definitions to each of the study populations, and discuss 3 types of responses to risk observed in the research setting. This collaborative effort by nursing scholars advances conceptual clarity of risk and vulnerability for the development of nursing knowledge. Further, the examination of risk responses has the potential to link the various perspectives of risk and vulnerability common in nursing and generate nursing practice implications explored in this review.