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Ethics in Nursing Education

Nursing is a profession that from the start can be characterized by its commitment to a moral mission--the care and preservation of health and human life. Nevertheless, nursing ethics is an important part of any nursing education, as an understanding of the various ethical and moral issues in the field is inherent to success and safety in the field.

  1. Emphasis on Care

    • While treating disease is an important part of the nursing profession, nursing ethics puts a greater emphasis on caring rather than curing. Nurses are committed to an ethics of care, where a concern for kindness and beneficence are central to the practical concerns of the profession.

    Patient Relationships

    • Nurses are encouraged to develop collaborative and respectful relationships with patients, as opposed to an overly authoritative relationship. Additionally, nurses are encouraged to keep their relationships with patients caring and sympathetic without becoming too personally involved.

    Patient Autonomy

    • Nursing ethics is committed to an ethic of choice and patient autonomy when it comes to treatment decisions. This is the basis for the commitment to informed consent and is in line with the idea of an ethics of care as opposed to an ethics of curing. Even though nursing professionals may have the best interests of their patients at heart, they emphasize this commitment to maintain the personal dignity of their patients.

    Confidentiality

    • Nursing ethics stresses the importance of patient confidentiality in accord with commitment to patient autonomy. Patients have the right to inform whoever they want and not to inform others regarding their condition, as long as their behavior does not put others at risk. When a patient's behavior puts others at risk, nurses are encouraged to intervene through appropriate channels.

    Truthfulness

    • In accord with their commitment to dignity and informed consent, nursing ethics emphasizes truthfulness. However, while nurses are obliged to be truthful with patients about their condition, nurses are encouraged not to distress patients unnecessarily. Sometimes, patients ask not to have their condition disclosed, a choice nurses are also supposed to respect because of their commitment to autonomy.

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