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Nursing as vocation
1Faculty of Nursing (MO2), University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006 Australia. kwhite@nursing.usyd.edu.au
Nursing Ethics
|May 31, 2002
Summary
Nursing is a vocation, defined by its traditions and moral meanings, not by gendered stereotypes. This article re-examines the vocational model for nursing, separating it from historical ties to motherhood and femininity.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Studies
- Sociology of Professions
- Ethics in Healthcare
Background:
- The traditional view of nursing as a vocation is often linked to feminine ideals and motherhood.
- Historical application of vocational models to nursing has been influenced by gendered perceptions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To argue that nursing is best understood as a vocational occupation.
- To re-evaluate the vocational model of nursing, disentangling it from gendered stereotypes.
Main Methods:
- Utilizes Blum's model of vocations to analyze nursing.
- Examines the social, personal, and moral meanings embedded in nursing practices.
Main Results:
- Vocations are characterized by traditions, norms, and a range of meanings (industrial, social, personal, moral).
- Nursing's vocational status stems from its work and identification with moral/social meanings, not its feminized character.
Conclusions:
- The vocational model for nursing can be conceptually separated from its historical association with motherhood and femininity.
- Nursing's identity as a vocation is rooted in its practice and ethical dimensions, independent of gender.
Keywords:
Bioethics and Professional Ethics