Scepticism about the virtue ethics approach to nursing ethics

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Moral Philosophy
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• Nursing ethics addresses moral dilemmas in professional nursing contexts.
• Normative approaches from moral philosophy are commonly used by nursing ethicists.
• Virtue ethics is increasingly applied to resolve moral problems faced by nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To argue for skepticism regarding the application of virtue ethics in nursing.
• To demonstrate that requirements like kindness do not exclusively support virtue ethics in nursing.
• To show that the teleology of virtue ethics is not directly transferable to the professional nursing context.

Main Methods:

• Critical analysis of the suitability of virtue ethics for professional nursing.
• Examination of normative rivals, such as utilitarianism, in nursing ethics.
• Response to arguments attempting to integrate virtue ethics into nursing.

Main Results:

• Virtue ethics' core tenets, like teleology, do not effectively translate to professional nursing.
• Alternative ethical frameworks can address nursing requirements like kindness.
• Attempts to establish virtue ethics in nursing face significant philosophical challenges.

Conclusions:

• Virtue ethics is better suited for personal moral life than professional nursing ethics.
• Nursing ethics can be more effectively addressed through alternative philosophical approaches.
• The application of virtue ethics in nursing practice is not recommended based on this analysis.