Artefact 1

For Athabasca University Course NURS 608: Philosophical Foundations and Critical Perspectives, I was invited to reflect on Julie Perry’s (2009) poem, “I Am Your Nurse.” Perry’s poem invites nurses to contemplate, reflect, and articulate how the prose mirrors our own nursing practice.

Below, you will find an additional verse written by me that is shaped by my ontological perspective and my lived nursing experiences.

My added verse is a reflection on the invisible weight nurses like myself often carry. Inspired by the moments of presence at the bedside that are often overlooked, but not forgotten, this prose gives voice to the inner work of nursing: witnessing suffering, noticing what others miss, and offering care that goes beyond the physical.

It serves as a reminder that presence is not passive—it is a deliberate, relational act of advocacy, empathy, and shared humanity.

I AM YOUR NURSE

Author Julie Perry (2009)

I ease your pain.
I bathe your skin.
I make your bed.
I help you dress.
I meet your needs.
You heal me.

I am your nurse.
I feed you meals.
I give you rest.
I tend your wounds.
I sense your suffering.
I answer your questions.
You teach me.

I am your nurse.
I know your pain.
I share your loneliness.
I feel your despair.
I taste your joy.
I sense your spirit.
You touch my soul.

And sometimes,
for just a moment,
I am you,
and you are me,
and we are one.

Together,
we go beyond the limits
of ordinary experience,
to live the extraordinary.