Presence

The habit of presence is practicing being in the presence of another person. To be in the presence of another person is to acknowledge that person’s personhood. To acknowledge personhood, one must respect another person’s capacity to make decisions and to be in relationships. This includes the ability to make decisions about the care patients wish or wish not to receive and the ability to be in relationship with nurses. Nurses must recognize these abilities in themselves, as nurses. Being present to patients is to be present to them, in the fullness of their personhood, with the nurse’s full personhood.