Caring is a universal need of all humans and is central to the practice of nursing (Watson, 1979). Considerable research has been conducted in the study of caring behavior and caring. However, there has been little nursing research which focuses on the meaning of care as perceived by the patient. The purpose of this study was to further determine the patient's perceptions of caring behaviors of nurses by using Watson's (1979) theory of carative nursing.Watson's theory identified ten carative factors which served as the basis for the caring behavior's assessment instrument's (CBA) seven subscales. The instrument was administered to a convenience sample of 100 adults, 59% female, 40% male over 21 years of age hospitalized during 1997-1998 on the progressive care unit of a large Midwest hospital.Data were analyzed using descriptive and correlational statistics as well as MANOVA. The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient for each subscale ranged from 0.88 to 0.98. Principle components factor analysis revealed seven factors which accounted for 71% of the variance in the data and provided support for construct validity of the instrument.Finding showed that critical care patients perceived caring behaviors of nurses in a critical care setting as having much importance on all seven subscales of the CBA. Overall, they perceived technical professional, helping/ trusting subscale and teaching/learning subscale as having much importance. There were no significant differences found on behaviors based on age, sex, education, length of hospital stay and number of hospital admissions.There were no significant differences between those who were married and not married. Married patients perceived as less caring behavior on humanism helping/trusting and teaching subscales.A major conclusion was that patients in the critical care setting overall perceived all behaviors of nurses in a critical care setting as identified in the CBA's seven subscales of the instrument as having the most importance. The behaviors identified as having the most important were technical-professional including giving shots and taking care of equipment (monitor). / School of Nursing