Volume 19, Issue 1 (3-2026)
Iran J Med Ethics Hist Med. 2026, 19(1): 1-14 |
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Marzband R, Karimi R, Rajabzadeh M, Moghaddasifar I, Molaei Tavani F. Applications of Existential Philosophy in Human-Centered Nursing Care: A Narrative Review. Iran J Med Ethics Hist Med. 2026; 19 (1) : 6
URL: http://ijme.tums.ac.ir/article-1-7025-en.html
URL: http://ijme.tums.ac.ir/article-1-7025-en.html
Rahmatollah Marzband1, Raoofeh Karimi2, Mahla Rajabzadeh2, Iman Moghaddasifar2, Fatemeh Molaei Tavani *2
1- Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
2- Ph.D. Student of Nursing, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
2- Ph.D. Student of Nursing, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Abstract: (367 Views)
Nursing is a profession intertwined with profound concepts such as meaning, suffering, death, freedom, and choice, concepts that lie at the core of existential philosophy. An understanding of the philosophical foundations of nursing plays a pivotal role in enhancing human-centered (person-centered) care. Accordingly, this study aimed to review and analyze the existing literature on the role of existential philosophy in nursing. This study employed a narrative review design. A systematic search of reputable databases, using the Persian and English keywords “existentialism” and “nursing”, identified ten eligible studies for inclusion. The review revealed that existential concepts have been applied in nursing primarily in areas such as fostering meaningful nurse-patient interactions, enhancing the sense of meaning in nursing practice to reduce burnout, providing meaning-centered consolation in end-of-life care, and educating in meaning-centered care. The findings of this review indicated that existential philosophy, through its emphasis on concepts such as meaning, freedom, responsibility, and suffering, can deepen person-centered approaches in nursing and play a significant role in enhancing therapeutic relationships, ethical decision-making, and care provision in sensitive and existentially challenging situations, particularly in end-of-life care.
Article number: 6
Keywords: Existentialism, Nursing, Spirituality, Human-centered care, Nursing ethics, End-of-life care
Type of Study: Review |
Subject:
History of Medicine
Received: 2025/07/31 | Revised: 2026/09/8 | Accepted: 2026/08/9 | Published: 2026/03/22
Received: 2025/07/31 | Revised: 2026/09/8 | Accepted: 2026/08/9 | Published: 2026/03/22
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