Loving and Humane Care: A Missing Link in Nursing

Historically, caregiving has been the core of nursing, and those involved in the profession have long strived to embody the humane virtues of caring as manifested in practice (1). Watson (2) considered nursing to be an inter-subjective human process and placed high value on the care relationship between the nurse and the recipient of care. Love, as a part of caring, may lead to patient healing and also benefit nurses, helping them to convert themselves and system (2, 3). Loving as an aspect of human care can mean showing respect for human values, cooperation and altruism, respect for human dignity, and devotion to one’s patients (4, 5). It is imperative for nurses to consider their patients’ dignity, because doing so is essential for establishing an effective relationship between the patient and healthcare provider (4). Love, the highest concept in human care, is a natural human characteristic that tends to disclose one’s identity to those around us (6). Love originates from one’s heart, creates hope, and costs nothing. It may be considered as a neglected, but preferred, priority in strengthening the effect of care-giving in modern nursing practice; it has also been shown to empower nurses in dilemmas, improving their problem-solving abilities, aiding in effective communication, and lending a sense of independence to their practice (7). Respecting human dignity and values, cooperation and philanthropic relations, and taking time to care for the patient all may be corollaries to the inborn love of nursing. On the contrary, a lack of compassion and love may lead to defective care (8). Acceptable professional practices are rooted in care-giving that has been integrated with respect for human dignity. In other words, what is expected of nurses could be an intelligent effort to provide appropriately-designed care that is respectful of patients in all aspects of its practice (9)