In search of the moral foundation of nursing

This article is offered as an extension of the work of Yarling and McElmurry, who ostensibly discussed the moral foundations of nursing. They did not actually broach their intended topic, but they did offer important clues for further analysis. This presentation attempts to show how the moral foundation of nursing might be discerned by indicating both its linkage to the great moral ideas and certain confusions in current nursing ideology. It is claimed that the moral foundation of nursing--indeed, the moral inspiration at the heart of nursing practice--must come from a clearly developed understanding of the idea of nursing.