<![CDATA[Introduction: Caring is fundamental to nursing and ensures an optimal patient experience. However, the complex nature of caring phenomena requires deeper exploration. Therefore, this study aimed to explore nurses' caring behaviors from the perspective of nurses as care providers and patients as care recipients. Methods: A hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative study was conducted in two major public hospitals in Malaysia, involving nurses (n = 16) and patients (n = 14). Participants were recruited through purposive sampling. Qualitative data were collected through focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews, aligned with institutional restrictions, and continued until data saturation was reached. To maintain data accuracy, this study used Lincoln and Guba’s framework of trustworthiness throughout the data collection and analysis. All data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Both groups identified caring as the essence of nursing. Nurses perceive caring as a professional obligation to ensure patient safety and acknowledge the importance of empathy. Meanwhile, patients define nurses' care as being authentic, with emotional presence and meaningful communication. Systemic and organizational constraints, such as staff shortages and administrative burdens, impose an emotional toll, leading to conflict between nurses' professional obligations and the clinical realities that sustain caring behavior. Conclusions: Continuous education and structured training may benefit nurses by enhancing and sustaining caring behavior and harmonizing professional responsibilities with psychological needs. Future interventional studies to measure their effectiveness are a way forward in this context.]]>
