Explorations of a trust approach for nursing ethics

Area of Science:

• Nursing Ethics
• Feminist Ethics
• Bioethics

Background:

• Trust is fundamental in nurse-patient relationships but lacks comprehensive normative exploration.
• Existing ethical models (contracts, paternalism, care) have limitations in fully addressing trust.
• Annette Baier's work on trust offers a valuable feminist ethical perspective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore a normative approach to trust in nursing ethics.
• To apply Annette Baier's feminist ethical framework to nursing relationships.
• To develop a more robust ethical model for nursing practice.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of Annette Baier's theories on trust.
• Critique of existing ethical frameworks in nursing.
• Conceptual exploration integrating feminist ethics, care, and justice.

Main Results:

• Baier's trust approach offers a richer understanding beyond mere reliability and competence.
• This approach highlights the importance of good will in nursing relationships.
• It provides a framework to overcome limitations of contract-based, paternalistic, and care-only models.

Conclusions:

• A trust approach, informed by feminist ethics, can enhance nursing ethics.
• Integrating ethics of care and justice is crucial for addressing complex nursing dilemmas.
• Acknowledging vulnerability and potential for harm is essential for ethical nursing practice.