Every profession has core values and excellences that provide an ethical code, a reference point for how nurses go about acting professionally. In nursing education, the learning of this content may be relegated to the clinical practicum experiences, and little time is spent on seminar discussions; thus, it often seems an obscure aspect of the curriculum. Introductory courses in nursing provide an overview of what professional practice is, what their code of ethics means, and how nurses are supposed to function. They usually outline the values and excellences held at the core of their being and becoming nurses. Nurses are still predominantly socialized during basic education and in the workplace to be subordinate to others. Compassion is unquestionably at the heart of the mission of the nursing profession. It is a virtue and an excellence that makes all the difference.