The will is a word that nurses may use to describe their patients’ actions or inactions. This concept has been extensively addressed by religions, psychologists, and philosophers. Ricoeur offered a phenomenology of the will in which three overarching key concepts were uncovered: decision, action, and consent. In this article, Ricoeur’s elaborative and exhaustive description of these three concepts is summarized. Examples as to how a phenomenology of the will may guide nurses in their day-to-day clinical practice in caring are provided. In research, Ricoeur’s phenomenology of the will may be used as a heuristic to guide phenomenological studies. An introduction to the will may act as a bridge between the art and science of nursing, providing nursing students with a greater understanding of the meaning of and need to provide holistic care.
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