title: Message From Plato: Expanding Our Nursing Horizons.
abstract: Recognizing human enlightenment is a common theme from the ancient discipline of philosophy. The budding philosophy of nursing continues to find meaning and value in advanced education. This article offers a lesson from the philosopher Plato about not knowing what we don't know. Plato's allegory of the cave offers a unique insight for nurses hesitant to return to school for advanced degrees. Those who believe that the endeavor offers little in return may find enlightenment in this two-thousand-year-old allegory. Plato's cave both encourages the reader to consider the unseen benefits of an educational journey and provides hope about the value of the unknown.
authors.forename: Brenda L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Snow
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fitzsimons
mesh_terms: D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D010684:Philosophy; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*