Nurturing Hope in Nursing:

A Lifeline for Our Profession

Today, we invite you to consider something crucial to our profession but often feels elusive—HOPE. In our daily work, where burnout is a constant threat, hope might seem like wishful thinking rather than the force that sustains us. Yet, as nurses, hope is central to our ability to adapt to the uncertainty and challenges we face.

As Antunes et al. (2023) state, "Hope is central to adapting to uneasiness or uncertainty. It is characterized by a cognitive, action-oriented expectation that a positive future goal or outcome is possible." Hope isn’t about ignoring our struggles but believing that we can and will make a difference despite them.

Peter W. Marty wisely said, "Hope is not a silly conviction that everything in society and politics is just fine. It isn't fine. Hope merely visualizes a better way—a way to walk into the future and, even more importantly, create a future." In nursing, hope is the belief that despite profound difficulties, we can and do make a difference.

This belief was made real during one of my life's darkest moments. During the early days of the Omicron surge, my daughter was admitted to a Covid-designated ICU. The environment was heavy with intensity and fear. My husband and I took turns sitting by her bedside, feeling helpless as we awaited the latest EEG results.

Through the glass windows, I could see the immense pressure the nurses on that floor were under, burdened by layers of PPE and the relentless demands of year two of the pandemic. I watched our nurse spend an hour with the COVID-19 patient next door, then come to us, offering more than just clinical care. He was with us in our pain, offering emotional and spiritual comfort while changing IV medications, documenting her condition, and training a new nurse.

His presence offered us a balm to our suffering. Even though his remarkable technical skills couldn't save our daughter's life, the hope he brought us—through his compassion and care—was a lifeline. This is what hope in nursing looks like. It’s not about fixing everything; it’s about being present and offering our patients and their families the strength to keep going, even when the future is uncertain.

But true hope isn’t something we can sustain on our own. As nurses, we need each other. We need to be part of a community that fosters hope, reminds us of our purpose, and helps us navigate the obstacles we encounter. The American Psychological Association (APA) highlighted this in a recent article: "Hope can occur in isolation, but it grows when you’re connected to a supportive and inspiring collective. A community of hopeful people can inspire you by encouraging you in your goals, helping you pivot when you encounter obstacles, or by simply reminding you that overcoming difficulty is possible."

In this collective, we don’t just survive—we thrive. We visualize a better future for ourselves, our colleagues, and our patients. We create environments where hope is not just a fleeting emotion but a sustained force that drives us forward.

So, if you’re feeling worn down, remember that hope is something you can cultivate in yourself and the environment around you. By holding onto hope, we can visualize and create a better way forward—not just for ourselves but for everyone we care for.

What is your hope for a better future for yourself, the nursing profession, and the healthcare system? Write it down and consider a few actions to create forward movement. Invite a few colleagues to join you. Remember, actions can look like quiet contemplation, a gratitude practice, or enrolling in a class.

Together, we can nurture the hope that sustains our profession.

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References

American Psychological Association. (2024). Hope and a greater meaning in life. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2024/01/trends-hope-greater-meaning-life

Antunes, M., Laranjeira, C., Querido, A., & Charepe, Z. (2023). What Do We Know about Hope in Nursing Care?: A Synthesis of Concept Analysis Studies. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 11(20), 2739. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11202739

Hooper, V. (2023). Nursing Post Pandemic: The Path Forward. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing: Official Journal of the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses, 38(1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jopan.2022.12.001

Marty, P. W. (2024). Quote on hope.