Cultivating the Practice of Loving-Kindness and Equanimity Toward Self and Other as

Foundational to Caritas Consciousness.

- Loving-kindness, in this context, refers to the practice of showing compassion,
warmth, and love towards oneself and others. Nurses are encouraged to approach
their patients with an open heart and a genuine desire to alleviate suffering.
- Equanimity is the quality of maintaining emotional balance, calmness, and
composure in the face of challenging situations
Being Authentically Present: Enabling, Sustaining, and Honoring the Faith, Hope, and Deep
Belief System and the Inner-Subjective World of Self/Other.
- Enabling Faith, Hope, and Belief Systems: Nurses are encouraged to support and
respect the belief systems, values, and cultural backgrounds of their patients. This
includes understanding and facilitating the patient's faith, hope for recovery, and
deeply held beliefs, which can be integral to their healing process.
- Sustaining Faith and Hope: Nurses play a crucial role in sustaining and nurturing the
patient's faith and hope, even in challenging situations. This involves providing
emotional support, encouragement, and reassurance.
- Nurses are mindful of their own subjective experiences and emotions and are
encouraged to authentically share these when appropriate. This transparency can
create a deeper connection with patients, as it fosters a sense of shared humanity.
Cultivation of One's Own Spiritual Practices and Transpersonal Self, Going Beyond Ego-Self.
- Spiritual Practices: Nurses are encouraged to engage in spiritual practices that
resonate with them personally.
- Going beyond the ego self means looking beyond just yourself. It's about thinking
about other people and realizing that we're all connected. So instead of only
thinking about what's good for you, you also consider what's good for others and
how we all fit together. It's like becoming more caring and less selfish
Development and Sustaining a Helping-Trust Caring Relationship
- developing and sustaining a helping-trust caring relationship is all about being
honest, understanding each other's feelings, being friendly but not overly
possessive, and communicating well.
Being Present to, and Supportive of, the Expression of Positive and Negative Feelings
- being present and supportive of the expression of positive and negative feelings in
healthcare means being a compassionate and understanding listener to the patient,
whether they're sharing good or bad emotions. It helps create a stronger nurse-
patient relationship and can contribute to the patient's overall well-being.
Creative Use of Self and All Ways of Knowing as Part of the Caring Process; Engage in
the Artistry of Caritas Nursing
- Creative Use of Self: This means that as a nurse, you're encouraged to bring your
unique personality and experiences into your practice. You're not just following a
set of rules but using your creativity to tailor your care to each patient's specific
 needs. It's about finding innovative solutions and approaches to improve patient
outcomes.
Creating a Healing Environment at All Levels
- It recognizes that health and healing are not solely determined by medical
treatments but are influenced by a person's emotional, spiritual, and cultural
factors, as well as the physical surroundings in which care is provided. By
addressing these internal and external elements, nurses can contribute to a more
comprehensive and effective healing process for their patients.
- Comfort, Privacy, safety, clean
- Mental Well-being, Spiritual Well-being
Engage in Genuine Teaching-Learning Experience that Attends to Unity of Being and
Subjective Meaning-Attempting to Stay Within the Other's Frame of Reference.
- Subjective Meaning: Understanding that the patient's experience and perception of
their health and illness are highly personal and subjective. What one patient
considers a significant health issue might not be the same for another. It's about
respecting and valuing the patient's feelings, beliefs, and values regarding their
health.
- Unity of Being: This means recognizing that each patient is a holistic being, with
physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions. It's about seeing the patient
as a whole person rather than just a collection of symptoms or medical condition
- Staying Within the Other's Frame of Reference: This involves stepping into the
patient's shoes, figuratively speaking, and trying to see the world from their
perspective. It's about empathizing with their feelings and concerns and tailoring
your communication and care to align with their unique needs and understanding.
- Caring vs. Curing: While curing focuses on medical treatments and procedures,
caring in nursing goes beyond that. It involves empowering the patient to take
charge of their health and well-being. The nurse becomes a guide and facilitator,
helping the patient make informed decisions about their care.
- Teaching-Learning Techniques: Nurses use various teaching methods to help
patients understand their health conditions, treatment options, and self-care
strategies. This might include explaining medical terms in plain language, providing
written materials, using visual aids, and engaging in open dialogue.
This approach aligns with the idea that healthcare is a partnership between the patient and
the healthcare provider, where both work together towards the patient's well-being.

Administering Sacred Nursing Acts of Caring- Healing by Tending to Basic Human Needs
- Biophysical Needs: These are the fundamental physical needs of the body, such as
food, elimination (waste removal), and ventilation (breathing).
- The idea here is that human needs are hierarchical, with lower-order needs serving
as foundational prerequisites for higher-order needs. For example, a person must
 have their basic biophysical needs met, like food and breathing, before they can
focus on more complex psychosocial needs like achievement or self-actualization
- Psychophysical Needs: These needs involve the interaction between the physical
and psychological aspects of a person. Lower-order psychophysical needs include
activities (physical exercise and engagement), inactivity (rest and relaxation), and
sexuality (physical and emotional intimacy).
Opening and Attending to Spiritual/Mysterious and Existential Unknowns of Life-Death

- Embracing the Unknown: In nursing, there are aspects of the human experience,
particularly in life and death situations, that defy easy explanation or control.
Despite our advances in science and medicine, there are still elements of life, death,
and healing that remain beyond our complete comprehension
- It involves being sensitive to the spiritual and existential needs of patients,
recognizing that there are elements of the human experience that cannot be fully
explained or controlled, and being open to the possibility of profound and
mysterious occurrences in the course of care.