""This book fills not only a gap but a wide cavern....I can not think of a better way for neophyte nurses to engage the human experiences and perspectives of their patients, nor can I think of a more relevant and comprehensive explanation of the philosophy and methods of existential phenomenology for seasoned researchers, scientists, and theoreticians.""--Jacquelyn H. Flaskerud, PhD, RN, FAAN, UCLA School of Nursing

While addressing a wide readership, this book focuses particularly on the nurse clinician and student, demonstrating how a humanistic philosophy and research methodology has the potential to illuminate the deeper meanings of health crises and universal human experiences like pain and spiritual distress.