HUMANISTIC NURSING When the meaning of nursing is sought by scrutinizing the phenomenon, that is, by examining the nursing event itself as it occurs in real life, one finds nursing embedded within the human context. As a nurturing response of one person to another in need, it aims at the development of human potential, at well-being and more-being. As something that happens between people, it reflects all the human potential and limitations of the persons involved. As an intersubjective transaction, it holds the possibility for both persons to effect and be affected, the possibility for both to become more. At its very base, then, nursing is humanistic. It is, at once, man's expression of and his striving for survival and further development in community. In a way, to specify nursing as humanistic seems redundant. In view of its source and goals how could it be otherwise? However, the term "humanistic nursing" was coined thoughtfully and used purposely here to designate a particular nursing approach. Not only does the term signify full recognition of nursing's human foundation and meaning but it also points the direction for nursing's necessary development. What is proposed here is the enrichment of nursing by exploring and expanding its relations to its human context. Authentic Commitment When it is genuinely humanistic, nursing is an expression, a living out, of the nurse's authentic commitment. It is an existential engagement directed toward nurturing human potential. The humanistic nurse values nursing as a situation in which the necessary conditions for such human actualization exist and is open to the possibilities in the intimately shared nurse-patient here and now. {15} Humanistic nursing calls for an existential involvement, that is, an active presence with the whole of the nurse's being. This involved presence is personal and professional. It is personal--a live act stemming from this unique, individual nurse. It is a chosen human response freely given; it cannot be assigned or programmed. The involvement is professional--goal directed. It is based on an art-science; it is held accountable. Anyone familiar with typical hectic nursing situations could justifiably question the actual attainability of such an existential involvement. It goes without saying that it would be humanly impossible for a nurse to be wholly present to numerous patients for eight hours a day. But any nurse who has experienced moments of genuine presence in the nurse-patient situation will attest to their reality and to the fact that it is these beautiful moments that give meaning to nursing. In terms of actual practice, then, it is more realistic to think of humanistic nursing as occurring in various degrees. It may be more useful, in fact, to consider humanistic nursing a goal worth striving for; or an attitude that strengthens one's perseverance toward attaining the difficult goal; or fundamentally, a major value shaping one's nursing practice.