Lot's Wife: An Exploration of Nursing and Calls, Guided by Two Poems

The article is a discussion on the theme of "the call" that formed the basis for Dr. Ted George's series of presentations at the Canadian Hermeneutic Institute (CHI) in 2021 It takes up two poems, both entitled "Lot's Wife," that are interpreted from the point of view of nurses who have to make decisions routinely in response to the demands of patients in actual settings of practice. The poems, by Anna Akhmatova and Wislawa Szymborska, treat the theme in contrasting ways that allows for a series of interpretive reflections, first considering a two-sided contrast between external regulation and anguish, and secondly a diverse array of "calls" to decision and action. A version of the article was first presented at CHI 2021.