Fostering Serenity in Nursing: Creating a Concept

Defining and developing the concept "fostering serenity" is useful to nursing practice, particularly in patients who have had near-death experiences. However, for individuals who have had near-death experiences, this can be a challenge. A 10-phase method outlined by Smith and Liehr was used to extract the concept of fostering serenity from two patient experiences. The patient narratives included two key elements of fostering serenity: The "I-Thou" relationship and personal quietude. This article reviews the literature on serenity and the core concepts of the "I-Thou" relationship and quietude, particularly how they are defined and fostered in the setting of Christian nursing practice.