Disgust in nursing: Ethical risks and the case for compassion.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Ethics
• Emotions in Healthcare
• Moral Philosophy

Background:

• Disgust is an under-explored emotion in nursing with protective functions.
• Its extension to social/moral domains presents ethical challenges in patient care.
• Nurses' responses to disgust impact professional practice and compassion.

Purpose of the Study:

• Examine disgust in nursing through theoretical analysis and moral philosophy.
• Investigate how disgust influences nurses' professional practice and compassion.
• Identify strategies to navigate ethical tensions posed by disgust in patient care.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of disgust.
• Exploration of moral philosophy.
• Inclusion of personal vignettes and interdisciplinary scholarship.

Main Results:

• Two dominant themes: institutional suppression of emotional expression and contamination fears.
• Suppression creates dissonance, contributing to fatigue and turnover.
• Contamination fears reinforce symbolic boundaries, risking patient dehumanization.

Conclusions:

• Eliminating disgust in nursing is neither possible nor desirable.
• Cultivating compassion offers a counterbalance to disgust, preserving professional boundaries.
• Integrating moral education into nursing curricula can foster compassion and uphold patient dignity.