ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the relevance of the phenomenon of thriving as a normative goal for nursing care. In contrast to its antonym, failure to thrive, thriving is a little-used concept in the health care and nursing literature. To the degree that it is explored, it has been described as ill-defined. Generally, there is a dearth of explorations of positive states and nursing outcomes for people with long-term ill-health conditions and people of old age. The concept of thriving captures a valued and experience-based phenomenon of relevance to people with ill health (as well as people without health problems). Furthermore, it provides a perspective that supplements existing positive concepts, such as quality of life. The analysis takes as a starting point the empirical nursing literature describing thriving from the perspective of patients receiving nursing care. The chapter continues by providing a review of previous theoretical accounts of thriving, followed by a more thorough philosophical account that may contribute to a better understanding of thriving as a viable goal for nursing care.
