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Related Concept Videos

Professional Values01:29

Professional Values

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Nurses are responsible for caring for patients during birth, death, illness, and healing. Professional values guide the decisions and actions that nurses make in their careers. If nurses know the decisions and actions to take, providing patients with exceptional care is possible.
The values that are the foundation of the nursing profession are altruism, autonomy, human dignity, and social justice.
First, altruism refers to the concern for the welfare and well-being of others without personal...
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Nursing Ethical Principles I01:22

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Ethical principles serve as the moral compass in the longstanding tradition of nursing, guiding healthcare professionals in their interactions with patients and families. These principles, namely autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and fidelity, provide a robust framework for navigating the ethical complexities of daily nursing practice.
Autonomy
Autonomy underscores the significance of a patient's self-determination and freedom from external control. In healthcare, respecting...
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Nursing Code of Ethics01:29

Nursing Code of Ethics

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The Nursing Code of Ethics sets the ethical benchmark for the profession, and guides nurses in ethical analysis and decision making at the societal, organizational, and clinical levels. The code encompasses showing compassion and respect for the patient, their families, and communities in all circumstances while committing to providing patient-centered care. In addition, the code states that nurses must advocate for the patient by defending a cause or recommendation to protect their rights,...
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Nursing Ethical Principles II01:27

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Ethical principles are essential in guiding nurses to fulfill their responsibilities, focusing on the quality of nursing care and decision-making. These principles, including autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and fidelity, shape the ethical framework within healthcare settings.
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
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Ethical Dilemmas I01:17

Ethical Dilemmas I

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Ethical dilemmas in nursing are of utmost importance, as they often arise from the tension between adhering to core ethical principles and the practical realities of healthcare delivery. These dilemmas require nurses to navigate complex situations where competing ethical considerations pull them in different directions.
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Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice01:30

Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice

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Theories play an essential role in organizing patient care. Theories refer to a proposed or followed belief, policy, or procedure that is the basis for action. Nursing theories are knowledge-based concepts that guide nurses' actions, influence nursing education and practice, and allow nurses to care for their patients.
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Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
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Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care

Published on: February 16, 2011

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Nursing and human freedom.

Mark Risjord1

  • 1Philosophy Department, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Nursing Philosophy : an International Journal for Healthcare Professionals
|December 11, 2013
PubMed
Summary

This study explores nursing autonomy, contrasting self-care deficits with patient free will. It argues for a nuanced view supporting patient autonomy through both freedom to and freedom from choices.

Area of Science:

  • Nursing Ethics
  • Philosophy of Medicine
  • Bioethics

Background:

  • Twentieth-century nursing literature featured debates on conceptualizing the nursing role.
  • Two main viewpoints emerged: the self-care deficit model and an emphasis on patient free will.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore differing conceptions of patient autonomy within nursing debates.
  • To analyze the concepts of positive and negative freedom in relation to nursing care.
  • To propose a more nuanced understanding of the obligation to support patient autonomy.

Main Methods:

  • Philosophical analysis using concepts of positive and negative freedom.
  • Examination of criticisms of the self-care model in nursing.
  • Integration of recent work on relational autonomy and autonomy-identity relationships.
Keywords:
HendersonParseautonomyrelational autonomyself-care

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Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
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Main Results:

  • Criticisms of the self-care model echo paternalism concerns from political philosophy.
  • A nuanced conception of autonomy includes both positive (freedom to) and negative (freedom from) dimensions.
  • This nuanced view supports conceptualizing nursing as expanding patient capacities.

Conclusions:

  • Respecting patient autonomy requires valuing choices and enhancing the ability to act on them.
  • Healthcare providers should support both patient choice and their capacity to realize those choices.
  • A balanced approach to autonomy strengthens the ethical foundation of nursing practice.