For care they have provided, many of us owe great debts of gratitude to nurses.

Nurses have more to offer than care.

At their best, nurses teach us how to care.

One of the surest ways to flourish is to rejoice in the goodness of others. To thrive as patients, we need to sincerely and gratefully acknowledge the contributions of health professionals, foremost among them nurses. There are about 900,000 active physicians in the U.S., but about 4.1 million active nurses. One intensive care unit study at a Midwestern medical center showed that when at least one health professional was in a patient’s room, it was over six times as likely to be a nurse as a physician.

It is vital that we appreciate the difference a good nurse makes, not just in terms of implementing medical orders but also offering support and comfort and enhancing patient experience. Nurses care in ways that many physicians are only dimly aware of. A shining example in literature is found in Leo Tolstoy’s 1878 masterpiece, “Anna Karenina.” Professional journals and meetings offer many insights, but until we see excellence in patient care through the eyes of such a master, we are likely to miss the deeper story.

The protagonist of Tolstoy’s book is Levin, a wealthy and well-educated farmer in search of the meaning of life. His new........

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