Self-sacrifice, self-transcendence and nurses' professional self.
Nursing philosophy : an international journal for healthcare professionals October 2005 DOI: 10.1111/j.1466-769x.2005.00215.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that nurses' desire toward intrinsic value is a necessary and self-transcending aspect of their professional self, which inevitably involves vulnerability to self-sacrifice, yet remains essential and requires support through nurse education. |
Abstract
In this paper I elaborate a notion of nurses' professional self as one who is attracted towards intrinsic value. My previous work in 2003 has shown how nurses, who see intrinsic value in their work, experience self-affirmation when they believe that they have made a difference to that which they see to have value. The aim of this work is to reveal a further aspect of nurses' professional self. I argue that nurses' desire towards that which they see to have intrinsic value, is a necessary and self-transcending aspect of a nurses' professional self. I argue further that nurses' desire towards intrinsic value inevitably involves their vulnerability. Nurses who see intrinsic value are shown to be vulnerable to self-sacrifice in their inclination to work for the good of their patients, at the expense of themselves. Yet an ability to transcend their self in this way remains a necessary aspect of a nurse's professional self, which requires nurture and support through nurse education.