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Related Concept Videos

Ethical Dilemmas I01:17

Ethical Dilemmas I

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.
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
Ethical Issues01:27

Ethical Issues

Nurses are essential in patient care, upholding the ethical principles of their profession and effectively navigating ethical dilemmas. Neglecting ethical issues can lead to inadequate patient care, compromised therapeutic relationships, and moral distress among healthcare workers.
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
Nursing Code of Ethics01:29

Nursing Code of Ethics

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,...
Nursing Ethical Principles I01:22

Nursing Ethical Principles I

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 the...
Nursing Ethical Principles II01:27

Nursing Ethical Principles II

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.
Initially, Mr. John's cancer...
Professional Values01:29

Professional Values

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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task
06:08

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task

Published on: July 22, 2025

Nurses' moral decision-making in practice through Kantian duty ethics.

Mirko Prosen1, Nađa Antonić1,2, Ema Sovinec1,3

  • 1Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Izola, Slovenia.

Nursing Ethics
|May 30, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Nurses apply Kantian ethics of duty through patient-centered values, but organizational constraints hinder moral autonomy. Improving conditions and support is crucial for ethical nursing practice.

Keywords:
Kantian ethicsadherenceethical principlesethicsnurses

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task
06:08

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task

Published on: July 22, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Nursing Ethics
  • Moral Philosophy
  • Healthcare Practice

Background:

  • Nurses face frequent ethical dilemmas and moral distress, balancing duties, values, and constraints.
  • Deontological ethics, specifically Kant's ethics of duty, provides a framework for duty-based moral action.
  • Empirical research on nurses' understanding and application of Kantian principles in practice is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore nurses' understanding and enactment of Kantian ethics of duty in clinical decision-making.
  • To investigate how Kantian principles shape nurses' moral judgment, sense of duty, and professional integrity.
  • To examine the influence of clinical practice on nurses' ethical frameworks.

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative descriptive research design.
  • Semi-structured in-person interviews with 17 nurses in Slovenia (November-December 2025).
  • Thematic analysis using Braun and Clarke's approach.

Main Results:

  • Five themes emerged: nursing work demands, understanding of duty, ethical decision-making, emotional dimensions, and organizational challenges.
  • Nurses largely enact Kantian ethics via internalized values and commitment to patient dignity.
  • Organizational and systemic factors significantly impede nurses' autonomous moral action.

Conclusions:

  • Nurses' ethical practice is rooted in internalized professional values and patient dignity.
  • Enhancing ethical practice requires improved working conditions and professional autonomy.
  • Structured support through ethics education, supervision, and reflection is vital for strengthening ethical nursing.