Stoic Nursing: Philosophy at the Bedside
Rolling admission
About the Course
Stoic Nursing: Philosophy at the Bedside introduces Stoic philosophical principles and practices to nurses from any healthcare setting, to reconnect to their life’s work: to love, heal, and care for others. Using the wisdom of this ancient Greek philosophy, Stoic Nursing: Philosophy at the Bedside revitalizes nurse’s spirits, sharpens their purpose, supports professional resilience and resets a positive perspective about the nature of our chosen work.
Join a small cohort of nurses as we journey for eight weeks together through the Stoic teaching about living ‘the good life’ and becoming one’s best person. Consider taking this course with a colleague or team from your workplace! Using familiar case studies encountered by nurses at work, we will apply Stoic principles such as perceiving what we do or do not control, seeing life through a virtue lens (courage, wisdom, justice, and self-mastery), and practice settling our emotions when they threaten to overwhelm us. Learn that Nurses and Stoics have much in common: a love for others, a sense of duty, and a high moral ground with which they try to walk. And a love of the natural human experience! Stoic philosophy is a different but powerful way of thinking about the world and one’s place in it.
This course takes place within the online Moodle Learning Management System and on three (3) Zoom calls. In this course, through asynchronous online dialogue, students are assigned a new module each week and will attend the course together to foster sharing and social learning. Activities, readings, videos, case studies, and blog postings provide a diverse and interesting mix of lessons.
Schedule of Lessons and Events (example)
| Dates | Method | Module | Subject |
| May 1 Monday | Zoom 3-4 pm PST | Introductions | Welcome and Logistics |
| May 1-7 | Moodle Online | Introduction Module I | Why Stoicism & Nursing? Stoicism 101 |
| May 8-14 | Moodle Online | Module II | Dichotomy of Control |
| May 15-21 | Moodle Online | Module III | Eudaimonia and the Good Life |
| May 22-28 | Moodle Online | Module IV | Following Nature |
| May 29 | Zoom Call 3-4 pm PST | Modules I-IV | Summary to Date |
| May 29-June 4 | Moodle Online | Module V | Reason and Emotion |
| June 5-June 11 | Moodle Online | Module VI | Social Responsibility |
| June 12-June 18 | Moodle Online | Module VII | Stoic Practices |
| June 19-June 25 | Moodle Online | Moodle VIII | Stoic Resilience |
| June 26 | Zoom Call 3-4 pm PST | Module V-VIII review | Summary, questions, and next steps |
Your Mentor
Dr. Kathryn Bucher, RN, DNP, FCSP has developed this eight-week multimedia, interactive program. In addition to being a nurse herself, she is also a graduate and board member of the College of Stoic Philosophers. A skilled facilitator, Dr. Bucher also provides on-site and virtual training to healthcare systems and schools of nursing.
Assignments
Assignments include weekly video lectures by Dr. Bucher, as well as additional readings, videos, podcasts, and worksheets each week. Over the eight weeks of the program (one new module each week), participants will have the opportunity to blog with each other, post short answers to a weekly healthcare-based case study, and respond to the week’s Stoic topic. A Zoom conference will be held for all participants at the half-way mark and at the end of the program.
Preparing for the Course
For this Moodle-based course, you must have a reliable internet connection, a computer (and perhaps a printer), and a webcam for Zoom meetings. You will want to be able to allocate between 2-4 hours/week to the program, but you can schedule your work based on your own needs. However, because the program progresses each week, it is important to keep up with the group and complete weekly assignments!
Required Textbook
Choose one (1):
Brad Inwood (2018) Stoicism: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press ($11.95 on Amazon as of Feb 2023)
Kai Whiting & Leonidas Konstantakos (2021) Being Better: Stoicism for a World Worth Living In, New World Library ($13.49 on Amazon as of Feb 2023).
Additional materials may be provided.
How to Apply
The College accepts students without regard to gender, race, religion, or nationality, provided the student is at least 18 years of age and has met our other admission criteria.
Complete the application form and briefly describe your nursing training and experience, and why you are interested in this course (250 words or less).
Tuition Fee
Tuition fee is $75.
Please note: This training is not accredited for Nursing Continuing Education credits. A College of Stoic Philosophy certificate of completion will be awarded to those that finish.
Application
The application requires that you complete the application form below and submit the tuition payment ($75 ).
Are you ready to begin?