Contributor – Julie Joseph, MSN,RN, CCRN
PhD Student, Texas Woman’s University

A Global Journey Toward Truth and Presence in Nursing

Having practiced in India and Ireland, and currently working in the United States, I have observed nursing from diverse cultural perspectives. Across these contexts, one insight remains constant: nursing is more than a profession; it is a moral and spiritual vocation. Two figures who continue to inform my practice are Mahatma Gandhi and Irish nurse-scholar Theresa Meehan.

Gandhi’s Philosophy: Truth, Nonviolence, and Service

Mahatma Gandhi regarded truth (Satya) and nonviolence (Ahimsa) as integral to ethical living (Dan, 2021). For Gandhi, truth was not an abstract idea but was realized in disciplined action and service to others (Puri, 2019). He posited that wisdom arises from reflection and moral practice rather than from detached intellectualism (Kumar, 2023). Gandhi emphasized cleanliness and self-discipline, ideas that have influenced contemporary conceptions of hygiene as moral responsibility (Bansal & Srivastava, 2008). This perspective aligns with nursing’s commitment to infection control and to promoting holistic well-being.

Theresa Meehan’s Careful Nursing Model: Presence as Healing

Irish nurse-scholar Theresa Meehan articulated similar ethical principles in the Professional Practice Model of Careful Nursing (Meehan, 2003). Rooted in nineteenth-century Irish nursing traditions, the model integrates scientific competence, moral reflection, and spiritual awareness. Meehan delineates four dimensions of practice: philosophy and professional practice, therapeutic milieu, practice competence and excellence, and management and leadership (Murphy et al., 2017). Central to the model is a presence that is a calm, attentive stillness through which the nurse facilitates healing (Meehan, 2012). This notion of presence aligns with Gandhi’s Ahimsa: both embody active compassion and deep respect for human dignity.

Philosophical Convergence: Truth and Presence as Moral Praxis

Both Gandhi and Meehan insist that knowledge, ethics, and action are inseparable. Gandhi’s “truth in action” and Meehan’s “presence in practice” rest on a shared foundation of moral awareness expressed through compassionate service. In the critical-care environment, I witness this convergence daily. Surrounded by monitors and machinery, a nurse’s mindful presence restores humanity to technology-driven care. For instance, in the cardiac intensive care unit, I attended to a patient who was awaiting a heart transplant. Although his vital signs remained stable, his anxiety intensified with each passing hour of uncertainty. I paused other duties, sat beside him, and listened as he expressed his fear that the anticipated call might never come. Together, we developed simple grounding routines such as breathing exercises, brief sensory checks, and moments of quiet reassurance. Consequently, his breathing relaxed and, for the first time in several days, he was able to sleep. By acting with integrity and compassion, we embody both Gandhi’s concept of truth and Meehan’s notion of presence.

Relevance for Today’s Nursing Practice

Gandhi’s and Meehan’s philosophies remain relevant to contemporary nursing, offering moral guidance amid healthcare’s increasing complexity. Gandhi’s call for self-discipline and moral integrity (Iyengar, 2022) invites nurses to cultivate mindfulness and reflective journaling to sustain authenticity amidst systemic pressures. Likewise, Meehan’s Careful Nursing Model broadens care beyond the physical realm to include spiritual and emotional dimensions (Meehan, 2020), reaffirming nursing as a holistic healing art. Gandhi’s principle of Ahimsa (Prabhu, 2025) translates into practices such as compassionate communication, empathetic listening, teamwork, and psychological safety within healthcare teams. His vision of Sarvodaya (Posina, 2022) highlights the welfare of all and challenges nurses to extend their influence beyond the bedside, advocating for community health, equity, and global solidarity. Finally, both Gandhi and Meehan remind us that presence itself is an ethical action. In nursing, ethical action means choosing actions rooted in compassion, integrity, and respect for human dignity. Stillness, attentiveness, and genuine connection are not passive gestures but deliberate moral choices; expressions of truth in motion. When we offer mindful presence, we are not simply standing at the bedside; we are acting ethically by honouring the patient’s vulnerability and affirming their humanity. In this way, presence becomes both a practice and a promise, embodying the essence of nursing.

Reflections Across Borders

In India, Gandhi’s ideals infuse community health outreach and public service initiatives. For example, nurses in rural primary health centres commonly lead mobile clinics that travel to remote villages to provide vaccinations, maternal care, and health education. These efforts reflect Gandhian principles of grassroots service, enabling nurses to meet people where they are, to emphasise prevention, and to prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable. The nurse’s role becomes not merely clinical but deeply relational, grounded in dignity, compassion, and the belief that equitable care is a moral responsibility.

In Ireland, I observed Meehan’s philosophy in the quiet reverence and spirituality of bedside care. One of the most touching moments in my critical-care practice in Ireland occurred during Christmas, when I cared for a young single mother with metastatic cancer who was the same age as me and in her final days. Overwhelmed by messages from loved ones asking for updates, she quietly asked me what she should say, knowing she had only days left. I sat with her, offering presence more than answers, and at her request, read Psalm 91 to bring her comfort.

She then told me she wanted to leave something for her ten-year-old daughter: a birthday letter for each of the next eight years. Together, we gathered paper, and she wrote each letter with love and intention. On Christmas Day, she passed away peacefully. In that moment, Meehan’s philosophy came alive for me: presence is where care becomes communion, reverence, and love. In the United States, where efficiency often overshadows empathy, both frameworks offer a moral compass that restores meaning to practice. Across these countries, the language of truth and presence remains widely resonant. Patients seldom remember the technology used, but they never forget how they were made to feel truly heard, respected, and valued.

Conclusion

Bringing Gandhi and Meehan together reveals nursing as both an art and a moral science. Gandhi teaches that truth must be lived, while Meehan shows that healing begins with presence. Their combined wisdom calls nurses to integrate spiritual awareness, ethical reflection, and scientific skill, which transform care from a routine procedure into a purposeful endeavor. As a doctoral nursing student practising globally, I find in these philosophies a sustaining vision: every interaction offers a chance to express truth through compassionate presence. In doing so, we affirm nursing’s promise to heal body, mind, and spirit through love in action.

References

Bansal, I., & Srivastava, J. (2008). Creating socially responsible systems for holistic development. Social Responsibility Journal, 4(4), 464–473. https://doi.org/10.1108/17471110810909876

Meehan, T. C. (2012). Spirituality and spiritual care from a careful nursing perspective. Journal of Nursing Management, n/a–n/a. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2834.2012.01462.x

Dan, M. (2021). Gandhi, yoga, and the issue of spiritual development. Is the notion of nonviolence (ahimsa) applicable in history? Arhe, 27(34), 311–338. https://doi.org/10.19090/arhe.2020.34.311-338

Iyengar, S. (2022). Sustainable development goals in Gandhi’s thought perspective. In Gandhi in the twenty-first century (pp. 37–55). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8476-0_3

Kumar, M. (2023). The idea of justice in Gandhian philosophy. In Relevance of duties in the contemporary world (pp. 21–39). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1836-0_2

Meehan, T. (2003). Careful nursing: A model for contemporary nursing practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 44(1), 99–107. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2003.02772.x

Meehan, T. C. (2020). The careful nursing philosophy and professional practice model. carefulnursing. https://www.carefulnursing.ie

Meehan, T., Timmins, F., & Burke, J. (2018). Fundamental care guided by the careful nursing philosophy and professional practice model©. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27(11-12), 2260–2273. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14303

Murphy, S., Mc Mullin, R., Brennan, S., & Meehan, T. (2017). Exploring implementation of the careful nursing philosophy and professional practice model©in hospital-based practice. Journal of Nursing Management, 26(3), 263–273. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12542

Posina, V. (2022). Gandhi’s satya: Truth entails peace. In Gandhi in the twenty-first century (pp. 189–198). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8476-0_13

Prabhu, J. (2025). Satyagraha and Gandhi’s religious ethics 1. In Rethinking Satyagraha (pp. 103–108). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003630210-9

Puri, B. (2019). Faith and reason: An alternative Gandhian understanding. Journal of Dharma Studies, 2(2), 199–219. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42240-019-00048-9

About Julie Joseph

Julie Joseph is a critical care nurse at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and a 2nd year PhD student at Texas Woman’s University. Her work is grounded in the belief that every patient deserves to feel heard, respected, and valued. Her standpoint as both an ICU clinician and emerging nurse scholar shapes her writing, inspiring conversations around presence, ethics, and humanity in moments of vulnerability.