http://jnep.sciedupress.com Journal of Nursing Education and Practice 2021, Vol. 11, No. 6 ORIGINAL RESEARCH The presence of humanistic caring before enrolling in nursing undergraduate programs: Perceptions of nursing students and nurses Dimitri Létourneau * , Johanne Goudreau, Chantal Cara Faculty of Nursing, Université de Montréal, Canada Received: December 2, 2020 Accepted: January 4, 2021 Online Published: January 25, 2021 DOI: 10.5430/jnep.v11n6p1 URL: https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v11n6p1 ABSTRACT Background and objective: Learning to become a humanistic and caring practitioner is expected by nursing regulatory bodies. Previous investigations revealed that several pedagogical activities used in nursing education programs could facilitate this learning process. There are also studies that underscored the contributions of non-academical experiences to humanistic caring practices. This paper describes nursing students’ and nurses’ lived experiences prior to nursing that contribute to the development of humanistic caring. Methods: The study drew on interpretive phenomenology and 26 participants were individually interviewed. Benner’s (1994) method was adapted and concretized into five iterative phases of phenomenological analysis that cooccurred with data collection. Results: Six themes emerged from the interpretation process, describing how humanistic caring is developed before enrolling in nursing. First, there are natural humanistic and caring dispositions. Second, there are experiences 1) involving family members, 2) related to the public sector, 3) associated with a friend, 4) featuring an encounter with a nurse, and 5) related to spirituality. Overall, relationships that participants had previously developed appeared to be at the core of the development of their humanistic caring. Conclusions: The findings strongly suggest that nursing students hold a variable degree of natural dispositions. These inclinations are enhanced through experiences inextricable to human life that will most likely generate learning. Nursing students thus start their education with a definite potential to humanize care. To facilitate the development of humanistic caring, educators may encourage students to reflect on and become aware of their past experiences and learning. Key Words: Humanism, Caring, Competency, Natural, Predisposition, Phenomenology, Learning, Development 1. I NTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND There is an international consensus that nurses are expected to be humanistic, caring, empathic, or compassionate prac- titioners. [1] Schools of nursing attempt to develop this vital aspect through various pedagogical activities such as high- fidelity simulations, [2] patient-narrated storytelling, and re- flective activities. Other studies demonstrate that humanistic caring can be learned and nurtured through an environment that cultivates humanism and caring. [3, 4] Indeed, there is evidence that experiences lived before and outside of the academical settings may contribute to the development of humanistic caring. [5] For instance, a caring environment in students’ homes, family values, or growing up in a nurturing family may foster a humanistic and caring practice. * Correspondence: Dimitri Létourneau; Email: dimitri.letourneau-aspirot@umontreal.ca; Address: Faculty of Nursing, Université de Montréal, Canada. Published by Sciedu Press 1