Utilitarian and common-sense morality discussions in intercultural nursing practice

Area of Science:

• Nursing Ethics
• Bioethics
• Cultural Competence in Healthcare

Background:

• Intercultural nursing presents unique ethical challenges.
• Nurses grapple with resource allocation (e.g., single rooms) and patient autonomy.
• Existing ethical frameworks may not fully capture nurses' decision-making processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore ethical conflicts in intercultural nursing.
• To examine the applicability of utilitarian and common-sense morality in these contexts.
• To understand the sources of moral distress among nurses.

Main Methods:

• Discussion of ethical theories applied to nursing scenarios.
• Analysis of common ethical conflicts in intercultural care.
• Exploration of nurses' perspectives on moral decision-making.

Main Results:

• Utilitarian and common-sense morality may better reflect nurses' practical reasoning than principled ethics.
• Conflicts arise from competing patient needs, resource limitations, and cultural demands.
• Unresolved ethical issues lead to moral distress and a sense of disequilibrium for nurses.

Conclusions:

• Ethical decision-making in intercultural nursing is complex, involving multiple competing values.
• Nurses experience significant stress when faced with situations lacking clear 'right' solutions.
• Further exploration of practical ethical frameworks is needed to support nurses in diverse healthcare settings.