Although caring is a fundamental concept in nursing, it is underutilized in our research with underserved populations and communities. Disch's definition of patient-centered care was adapted to define the elements of caring in research work with underserved communities. The study's purpose was to demonstrate how to conceptualize and operationalize caring in the research process. Demonstrating caring in our attitudes and actions is essential to the success of our research work. The proposed research process aids in applying caring into our engagement with community stakeholders and recruitment of minority participants, whether we conduct community-based participatory research or clinical trials.
Keywords: Latinos; caring; community-research partnerships; health disparities; participant recruitment; patient-centered care.