Maykut, ColleenMiller, ColePorter, Meredith2023-11-302023-11-302023Maykut, C. A., Miller, C., & Porter, M. (2023). Mapping Our Nursing Essence: A Tattooed Imprint of the Struggle Between Desire and Reality. International Journal for Human Caring, 27(4), 190–202. https://doi.org/10.20467/IJHC-2021-0025https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14078/3275Truths are subjective and often incomplete when we view the world through the dominant perspective of the mind. Heidegger (2010) suggested we live and experience our world through our bodies, and these experiences leave both visible and invisible impressions. When we interact with others our interpretation of our world is enhanced. However, the capacity to interpret and convey the complexity of our experiences is often constrained by external narratives, and an absence of a space to support exploration. Understanding socio-political processes and structures may assist with navigating and mitigating oppressive influences on practice. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to convey aesthetically and then interpret the professional world of Registered Nurses (RNs). Specifically, the intersection between what a nurse desires to do and what they are able to do in their practice. Body mapping as an aesthetic methodology made visible the professional and personal experiences on life-size body drawings, and thus provided a richer illustration than text alone (Gastaldo et al., 2012, 2018; Skop, 2016). Reflexive interpretation, as a community, began the process of deconstructing to reconstruct the individual’s narrative to create shared meaning of the professional intersection.enAll Rights ReservedHalldorsdottiraestheticnursesphilosophyprofessionalArticlehttps://doi.org/10.20467/IJHC-2021-0025