I just finished reading a wonderful editorial by Geraldine Gorman, "Gestation of Compassion," in the January/February 2005 issue of Nurse Educator. I applaud and support her sentiments regarding nursing education and the educator's role in nurturing nursing students through compassion and caring.

I have been a student, a critical care specialist, and nurse educator for many years and have experienced similar pregnancies. I firmly believe in nurturing students, finding their strengths, celebrating their achievements, and encouraging their progress along the path to self-actualization. Yes, some students decided not to pursue nursing-not because they were told that they "could not cut it," but rather that their strengths and abilities were better suited to a different area.

I also hear stories of how some educators feel that a hard-line approach is the way to go. That might work for some students and that might have been the way those educators were hazed and intimidated into the profession. However, I am yet to see how it benefits the emerging nurse professional as a caring and empathetic caregiver. Thank you for including this refreshing view of a more compassionate pedagogical approach.

June M. Como, MS, MSN, RN, CCNS, CCRN

Instructor, Nursing Department, College of Staten Island-City University of New York, Staten Island, NY. [email protected]