Abstract
The purpose of this article was to critique and synthesize the trajectory of the work of Dr Jane Georges in Advances in Nursing Science over the past decade in the development of an emancipatory theory of compassion, with implications for contemporary nursing. Specifically, this article (1) summarizes and critiques the work in each stage of its development, describing missing elements at each stage and subsequent development of ideas built upon previous work, and (2) proposes future directions for the work, including the proposal of a theory of compassion within the emancipatory paradigm to guide further scholarly inquiry in nursing.