Self-Esteem and Nursing

When I first began to study and learn about nursing, I never thought very much of what the concept of self-esteem meant to me. Self-esteem seemed like an abstract psychological concept, and I still was mainly preoccupied with the demands of nursing as a physical profession that required technical expertise. However, as I grew wiser, I began to see how my initial assumptions were fundamentally in error. People may know that certain health practices are required to improve their sense of well-being, such as quitting smoking, exercise, or eating a healthy diet. However, there are often vastly different levels of personal self-empowerment regarding the ability to make such changes. It is very common to speak of 'willpower,' but we must ask why certain people seem to have stronger willpower than others. Self-esteem is often the answer.

Self-esteem is not having a falsely high opinion of one's self....
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