The Importance Of The Humanities In Nursing

The Importance of the Humanities in NursingNameAcademic InstitutionCourse Number and NameInstructorDue DateThe Importance of the Humanities in NursingHumanities are essential to the field of nursing because the humanities teach values like empathy and cultural understanding. According to Loretta Ford, in the Point/Counterpoint article (2014), the future of nursing will require “intellectual, creative, and personal proficiencies” (Point/Counterpoint, 2014, p. 86). This is because the evolving nature of the nursing profession increasingly is focused on providing culturally competent care, with an emphasis on caring as more than simply fulfilling technical responsibilities. As nursing moves forward, there has been greater focus on ensuring patients receive the best care possible, which would naturally involve being treated with empathy and personal support. The main counterpoint raised in the same article is that the humanities are essentially a distraction for nursing students, who have to fulfill many other requirements during a two-year program. Adding additional humanities courses takes away some of the focus that might otherwise be given to more technical courses. However, the problem with this argument is that it is