title: Nursing memoirs: why do we do what we do?
abstract: According to Black, Deeny and McKenna, "defining what nurses do, and why, has been the endeavour of many researchers" (1997). With the events of 9-11, many people have spent recent months reflecting on that which constitutes their focus, evoking memories from the past. In the aftermath of 9-11, nurses have likewise stopped to reconsider why we do what we do. The purpose of this article is to examine what nursing literature says about why nurses do what they do and share the findings in the context of my own story as a nurse.
authors.affiliation: Fort Hays State University, USA.
authors.forename: Carolyn S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Insley
mesh_terms: D000739:Anecdotes as Topic; D020811:Biomedical Technology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007615:Kansas; D008875:Middle Aged; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009729:Nursing; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D011182:Postoperative Care