An analysis of the concept of experience

This paper is an analysis of the concept of experience. It begins with an examination of some of the methods used in concept analysis. Following this, an eclectic approach is taken by the combination of many aspects from some of the analysis methods discussed. It shows that the term experience is used in four ways in normal nursing usage: exposure to a particular event, emotion, information or situation; time spent in the service of nursing; the amount of knowledge gained over a period of time; and an event, situation or emotion. Various methods are used then to define experience and to delineate the meaning of experience in the profession of nursing. It is made clear that the measurement of experience in quantitative terms is widespread, but that measurement in qualitative terms is less well understood, but may prove to be more important.