Abstract
Rational nursing is a theoretical concept that serves as a practical, behavioral application of the nursing process. This article is a concept analysis that defines and clarifies rational nursing, examines relational and nonrelational propositions, and describes clinical and personal applications for the individual nurse. This relatively simple yet revolutionary tool can improve patient outcomes and prevent nursing burnout. Nurses involved with staff development, education, and retention will discover that teaching and reinforcing rational nursing provides nurses with minute-by-minute guidance to the treatment of the human response both in patient illness and their own practice of nursing.