The gift of love: A contemporary view of love in end-of-life nursing care

BackgroundHistorically love in nursing has been expressed as tender loving care but a move to technological thinking in nursing and the integration of healthcare systems may have changed this to one where love may be distant or avoided from the arena of care. It may now uncertain if love in nursing is an essential part of care, or supererogatory and additional to a paid duty of care.Research aimA study was conducted to investigate hospital nurses' experiences of providing end-of-life care. A core theme from the study was the nurse's expression of love. This article reports on this outcome and aims to provide clarity regarding the current nature of love in nurses' care.Research designInterpretative phenomenology was used to explore hospital nurses' experiences of providing end-of-life care.Participants and research context6 UK registered nurses with experience of hospital end-of-life care took part.Ethical considerationsEthical approval was gained before commencing the study. All participants consented to take part.FindingsThe nurses' end-of-life care actions were done willingly with goodness, selflessness, sometime courage, placing others before themselves and going beyond their duty of care. As a consequence, their love is universal and not bound by a professional care ethic but given freely of themselves as a gift.DiscussionThe nurses' action described love as both agape and eros suggesting a universal love. This was suggested a love not bound by a professional care ethic but one given freely of themselves as a gift.ConclusionsA contemporary view of love in nursing care is presented; when caring for dying vulnerable people in hospital, the value of love for another person is prevalent in the nursing care provided. It is not bound by a duty to care but is an addition to the process of care and is given freely of self.