This desire to develop nursing theory goes back to my years (1959-64) as a faculty member in a graduate nursing program. I fussed with the idea, did not know exactly what I was fussing about, and expressed my desire, interest, and concern poorly. Much, I am sure now, to others' dismay. Teaching in nursing was an offering of multitudinous theories developed in and for other disciplines using nursing examples. There were both similarities and differences in the many nursing examples in which attempts were made to describe the qualities of the participants' beings. Emphasis was placed on the observations by the nurse of the others' responses in the nursing situation. Nursing education was rife with lengthy repetitive examples utilized to focus on particular variations. I desired a unifying base applicable to all nursing situations. This was not a seeking for conformity nor an attempt to negate individuality. Certainly I did not want such a base to exclude individual nurses' talents. Rather this base, foundation of nursing indicative of the nature of nursing, would heuristically promote endless variations to flow, blossom, cross-pollinate, and evolve. {97} In these observations and thinkings I was attempting to understand, sort out, and clarify the questions that underlay my puzzlement. This puzzlement arose out of my 18 years in nursing practice and education. In a theory course and a philosophy of science course, while in doctoral study, I recognized and learned to label my unrest and puzzlement as a recognition of the need for nursing theory. In 1966 in discussing my purposes for doctoral study, I expressed this unrest and puzzlement. I viewed my varied past experiences in nursing as excellent. I sought time to reflect on the past 24 years of living nursing to see what it could tell me, and to come to better understand its meaning to the profession of nursing. The philosophical nature of these questions and what they express of myself is evident. Such personal revelation at this time is no risk, and withholding would only deprive myself and others of the answers that might be brought forth. As in most school situations initially responding to class assignments and involvement in new clinical situations consumed my time and thwarted my personal, professional interests. When I commented on this my interests were interpreted to me as a desire to live in the past. Living in the present was recommended and terms like "up-to-date" and "progressive" were employed. I felt stopped cold. I had never viewed myself as old fashioned or non-progressive. Many of my past nursing experiences were still avant-garde as compared with general current practices.