Pocos profesionales de enfermería se han planteado analizar su profesión desde la filosofía. Pocos, muy pocos, se han cuestionado e investigado cuál es el sentido y valor o significado del vocablo cuidar. ¿Qué significa, pues, desde la filosofía y la historia cuidar? Y es que, sólo con este interrogante, aclarando su valor intrínseco, da contenido profesional a enfermería. Porque cualquier profesión que no se apoye en la filosofía y en la historia carece de categoría y no llega a considerársela como facultativa. Las profesiones, para ser consideradas como tales, universales, universitarias, se han de apoyar en dichos principios. Enfermería es ahora, desde la filosofía y la historia, una profesión autónoma, facultativa, con métodos de trabajo científicos, que fomenta y enriquece la calidad de vida
Few nursing professionals have managed to analyse their own profession from a philosophical point of view. Even fewer of them have ever questioned, or investigated, the meaning and value of the concept of caring. Therefore, what is the meaning of caring both from a philosophical and historical perspective? This paper argues that it is through this question or argument that, due to its intrinsic value, nursing can acquire both meaning and a professional dimension. What's more, no profession can be called so without first looking at its past and supporting itself on philosophical principles. Any profession, in order for it to be considered as such (universal, university) must support themselves on these principles, through which nursing has finally achieved professional autonomy, with its own research and scientific methodology, and has been able to promote and improve quality of life