The Nursing Way Presents at The American Academy of Nursing

The Nursing Way: A Nurse-Led Digital Platform to Advance Workforce Well-Being and Health Equity was presented by Mary Rockwood Lane, RN, PhD, FAAN; Jean Watson, PhD, FAAN, LL(AAN); and Kathy Douglas, RN, MPH, at the American Academy of Nursing.

The Nursing Way Team presented about our community and new APP at the prestigious American Academy of Nursing this week, October 2026. It was received with enthusiasm, affirmation of our work, and the importance of peer to peer support. Nurses supporting Nurses. Below we shared some of the thinking behind the presentation.

Forewords

One of the unexpected gifts of being invited to present your work is the opportunity it creates to look more deeply at what you are building and why it matters. Preparing for a presentation calls for reflection, questioning, and the sometimes challenging process of finding just the right words, messages, and images to express a vision that continues to grow. It asks you to step back, look again, and clarify what matters most. It's not always easy, but it is incredibly valuable.

For us, one thing has never been in question. Our calling remains clear and unwavering:

Supporting new levels of healing, caring, and flourishing for nurses.

How we bring that calling to life, however, continues to evolve. We are constantly learning, listening, and discovering new possibilities through the wisdom and experiences shared by our community of nurses. Their voices, along with our commitment to continual learning, shape and deepen our understanding of what The Nursing Way can become.

And so, as we celebrate the honor of presenting our work at the American Academy of Nursing, we also want to share some of the thinking, intentions, and guiding principles that form the foundation of our work. What follows is a reflection of where we are today, not a finished destination, but a moment along an unfolding journey. We share it with gratitude, curiosity, and the understanding that as we continue to listen, learn, and grow together, our vision will continue to deepen and evolve.

As healthcare grows increasingly complex, the need to support nurses as whole human beings has never been more important. The Nursing Way embraces a vision that moves beyond responding to stress and burnout toward intentionally cultivating the conditions that allow nurses to grow, heal, connect, and flourish.

Nurses Flourishing - It All Started with a Clear Intention to Simplified Access to Resources, Support, and Community

From our earliest conversations and design concepts, we envisioned The Nursing Way as a caring-healing ecosystem that would meet nurses wherever they are in their journey. Some may arrive seeking a moment of inspiration or renewal. Others may be navigating a difficult experience, looking for a safe space to reflect, process, and heal. Still others may be longing for connection, community, or opportunities to learn and grow. We recognized that every nurse's journey is unique, and that their needs change from day to day. Our vision was to create a welcoming space with many pathways to support, where each nurse could discover what they need, when they need it, and feel supported in becoming more fully themselves. Out of this vision our ecosystem began to emerge.

At the center of The Nursing Way ecosystem is Nurses Flourishing, supported by six interconnected elements built upon a foundation of Caring Science. Also sitting at the center is Community which creates opportunities for nurses across the globe to connect, share experiences, and participate in a caring community that understands and uplifts them.

1.  Peer Connection helps reduce isolation and cultivate a sense of belonging. Through relationships with other nurses, individuals can share their challenges, celebrate their successes, and recognize that they are not alone.
2.  Live Gatherings bring nurses together for conversations, reflection, and shared experiences that inspire, reconnect, and heal. These gatherings create space for the collective wisdom of nurses to emerge.
3.  Education offers learning resources that deepen knowledge while supporting personal and professional growth. The emphasis extends beyond clinical competence to include self-awareness, caring practices, and the human dimensions of nursing.
4.  Creative Healing recognizes the transformative potential of creative expression. Through poetry, journaling, art, movement, and storytelling, nurses can explore their experiences, reconnect with their creativity, and discover new pathways toward healing and renewal.
5.  Caring Science Practices provide education and experiences that nurture mind, body, and spirit. Grounded in Unitary Caring, these practices encourage nurses to cultivate intentional presence, compassion, self-awareness, and authentic caring relationships.
6.  The APP Platform expands and simplifies access while supporting the community to co-create and make easily available meaningful content.

Together, these six elements create a supportive ecosystem in which personal growth and professional practice are understood as deeply interconnected.

Underlying Structure

The underlying structure of The Nursing Way emphasizes personal mastery as an ongoing journey of self-discovery, authentic presence, and intentional growth. This framework recognizes that the quality of our caring relationships is deeply influenced by our relationship with ourselves.

Personal Mastery: Personal Growth That Strengthens Professional Practice

At the heart of The Nursing Way is the belief that personal growth enriches every dimension of our lives, including our professional practice. Personal Mastery is a lifelong journey of deepening self-awareness, cultivating inner wisdom, and learning to live with greater intention, authenticity, and compassion. It is not about achieving perfection or mastering every challenge, but about continually discovering who we are, what matters most, and how we wish to show up in the world. As nurses nurture this relationship with themselves, they open new possibilities for navigating life's challenges, building meaningful relationships, experiencing greater fulfillment, and bringing authentic presence to their caring practice. The gifts of this inner journey extend far beyond nursing, touching families, friendships, communities, and every aspect of life

Three interconnected dimensions support this journey.

1.  Cultivating Awareness

Self-awareness and intentional presence stewarding personal growth, healing, and self-caring.

It begins with cultivating awareness, with turning inward and developing a deeper understanding of ourselves our thoughts, emotions, beliefs, reactions, and ways of being. For nurses, this awareness creates opportunities to recognize personal needs, respond more intentionally to challenges, and nurture greater compassion for themselves and others. Through reflection, mindfulness, and Caring Science practices, nurses can strengthen their capacity to be present with themselves, creating a foundation for personal growth and healing.

2.  Embodying Caring Consciousness

Generative support and community fostering growth, radiance, and alignment.

Awareness becomes transformative when it begins to shape how we live and relate to others. Embodying caring consciousness means bringing greater intention, authenticity, and compassion into everyday experiences. It is the practice of aligning our inner values with our actions, relationships, and professional presence. Within The Nursing Way, community plays an important role in this process. Through shared wisdom, meaningful connection, and mutual support, nurses encourage one another to grow and express caring more fully in their lives and practice.

3.  Continual Returning to Self

Mastering returning to one's authentic caring presence within the realities of life and practice.

Personal mastery is not about achieving a permanent state of balance, peace, or perfection. It is about developing the awareness and capacity to return to ourselves, again and again, amid the demands and uncertainties of life. Nurses know that even with the best intentions, difficult experiences can leave us feeling disconnected from our sense of purpose, compassion, or inner peace. Continual returning to self invites us to recognize these moments without judgment and gently reconnect with our authentic caring presence. Over time, this practice can become a way of being, one that supports personal well-being while strengthening our ability to remain compassionate and present with others.

Simplified Access to Resources, Support, and Community

Technology is not the heart of The Nursing Way; it is the bridge that allows our caring-healing community to reach nurses around the world. In today's interconnected world, technology offers an extraordinary opportunity to transcend geographical boundaries, time zones, and the circumstances that can make connection and support difficult to access. We have been able to do this over the last few years through live events and our on-line platform. Now we have The Nursing Way App to advance simplified access.

The App offers a daily companion that makes inspiration, renewal, connection, education, and support available anytime, anywhere. Now nurses across the globe can come together, share their wisdom, participate in meaningful community experiences, and find inspiration, education, and renewal whenever and wherever they need it. What once depended on being in the same room can now become a shared experience across continents, cultures, and generations.

By embracing technology in service of human connection, we are extending the reach of The Nursing Way and creating new possibilities for nurses everywhere to feel supported, nurture their personal growth, and flourish in life and practice.

Advancing Workforce Well-Being

The Nursing Way represents an approach to nurse well-being that brings together Caring Science, personal mastery, peer connection, education, and technology in one accessible ecosystem. Its underlying premise is that investing in the personal growth of nurses is also an investment in the future of nursing practice.

As healthcare continues to evolve, supporting the nursing workforce requires more than addressing the challenges nurses face. It also requires creating meaningful opportunities for nurses to reconnect with their humanity, cultivate their wisdom, and experience the relationships and resources that help them flourish.

The Nursing Way offers a model for exploring what becomes possible when we invest not only in what nurses do, but in who nurses are and who they are becoming. Through continued implementation, evaluation, and collaboration, this work seeks to contribute to a growing understanding of how caring-healing experiences can strengthen individual nurses, the nursing workforce, and ultimately, the communities they serve.

Together We Flourish.

This is the poster shared at the American Academy of Nurses

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