Ethical Dilemmas in School Nursing: A Virtue-Centered Reading of Care, Courage, and Character

The thirteen narratives presented in this symposium reveal what school nurses already know: their work involves far more than routine care. These stories describe circumstances filled with ambiguity, pressure, and moral burden: situations in which rules or standard ethical principles do not fully capture what is at stake. This commentary reframes those dilemmas through a virtue-ethics and character-education lens, drawing on scholars such as Lickona, Arthur, Kristjánsson, Noddings, and Berkowitz. I suggest that thinking in terms of character-compassion, courage, practical wisdom, justice, humility-offers a more grounded way to understand how school nurses navigate difficult situations. I close with brief recommendations for school policy and professional development.