Nightingale Spotlight
Teaching with Presence: Love, Awareness, and Resilience in the Nursing Learning Environment By: Professors Sheryl McDonald and Dr. Nisha Philip-Crisano
As we look back on Nurses Week 2025 with celebration and reflect upon the legacy of Florence Nightingale, we return to a simple yet powerful question: What energy are we bringing into the learning space? Nurse educators are tasked with being content experts and are often called to serve as guides, protectors, and illuminators. Functioning as beacons of the profession, we recognize that our roles and attributes are essential to the success and transformation of our learners. Educating future nurses on the fundamental traits required to enter a profession currently challenged by incivility, burnout, and workplace violence is more crucial than ever. As facilitators of learning, we must continue to practice mindful instruction and lead with intention so that we can empower our learners to be prepared for a wide range of circumstances. The Crisis We Can No Longer Ignore: Workplace Violence and Incivility in Nursing Workplace violence and incivility have become an everyday reality for many nursing professionals. From verbal abuse to physical violence, these crises demand urgent attention. Alarming findings from a nationwide survey by National Nurses United reveal that 81.6% of nurses have experienced some form of workplace violence within the past year (National Nurses United, 2024). Without swift and effective action from nurses, these incidents will continue. In a recent case in Palm Beach, Florida, Leela Lal, a nurse at Palms West Hospital, was nearly killed during her shift by a psychiatric patient (WPBF 25 News, 2025). Why Self-awareness Matters Self-awareness involves recognizing emotional triggers and understanding how our responses influence others. As educators, this means making intentional choices about how we react, especially in challenging or tense situations. Studies show a significant correlation between emotional intelligence and stress in higher education settings (Xu, Zhang, & Ji, 2023). Therefore, it is vital for us as educators to be mindful of the tone we set and to reflect on how we “show up.”
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