Posters

Embodied Courage in Nursing

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

The concept of moral courage has received increasing attention within nursing literature, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. While moral courage is commonly defined as the willingness to act ethically despite risk, this paper argues that courage in nursing extends beyond ethical decision-making alone. Drawing from philosophical, theological, literary, and nursing scholarship, this work proposes a broader framework of embodied courage that encompasses moral, relational, physical, and creative dimensions of nursing practice. Grounded in holistic understandings of the person and informed by Christian virtue ethics, embodied courage is expressed through presence with suffering, vulnerability in human relationships, endurance amid uncertainty, advocacy for justice, and imaginative efforts to humanize care. The paper traces historical conceptions of courage from Aristotle and Aquinas to contemporary nursing literature and explores how Christian understandings of grace, hope, and vocation deepen the meaning of courageous caregiving. Embodied courage offers a richer understanding of nursing as a practice of compassionate presence directed toward healing, human flourishing, and shalom.

I gratefully acknowledge peer review feedback on this project, and I am accountable for writing of this product without generative AI and in alignment with the aspirations of Belmont’s AI policy and the Psalm 8 AI Taskforce as of this date

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