IN THE SCIENCE of nursing, the discipline is developed by identifying research phenomena based in practice. Immersion in practice enables discovery. In the discovery process of building structures for research defined by , the phenomenon of balancing risk in pursuit of the familiar was developed. The phenomenon is observed in nurses’ daily work as patients’ express their goal to return to their own home and to familiar and everyday patterns. This pursuit is expressed in a variety of situations, such as nursing care of elderly persons, children in foster care, and those who attempt to return to their home after inpatient or transitional stays. Regardless of population, mental health is implicit in the phenomenon of balancing risk in pursuit of the familiar.