Ethical Compassion in Nursing: Values, Morals, and Practice

Personal, Cultural, and Spiritual Values in Nursing Practice

The role played by the nursing professional is highly consequential to the health outcomes experienced by patients. This means that the nursing profession must be regulated by clearly defined and positively reinforced ethical provisions. These provisions are given by the ANA Nursing Code of Ethics and, in my personal experience, are imperative as a way of dictating how we, as professionals, are expected to engage patients, required to relate to colleagues, and trained to respect human dignity. This connection between ethical conduct and treatment quality contributes both to my personal worldview and to the broader field of nursing. With specific reference to my experiences in the NICU and maternity wards, this connection takes on particular importance. Here, quality outcomes mean sound, healthy births, the minimization of risk or pain for the mother, and the provision of an excellent environment within which to bring a newborn into the world.

The link between achieving these outcomes and behaving in an ethical manner is inextricable. My cultural background in particular helps provide a strong foundation for my actual practice in the field. In my upbringing and family background, there are few more sacred responsibilities than helping to ensure the safety, health, and well-being of the mother and child throughout pregnancy and labor. Likewise, I have been raised to believe in proactive medical attention throughout pregnancy to ensure that everything proceeds with proper personal oversight. I believe that early planning, thorough patient education, and regular contact with professional care are all essential.

This belief influences how I proceed with treatment, directing me to engage patients directly to ensure that they understand the implications of the steps ahead of them, and to provide outgoing patients with proper discharge support before they leave the hospital and are on their own.

Values, Morals, and Ethics in the Context of Nursing Obligations

Patients come from a diverse population and, as a result, reflect a wide range of cultural, linguistic, religious, and educational backgrounds. It is the ethical responsibility of an effective nurse to take all appropriate steps to understand and work within this diversity. This speaks to one of the key ethical principles I have employed in my practice. Specifically, I recognize that the cultural values of my patients may sometimes differ from my own. It is incumbent upon me to navigate these differences with the utmost respect for my patients' cultural and spiritual beliefs, while also maintaining a focus on what best serves the medical interests of the child.

This aligns with the ANA's call for healthcare practitioners to "examine the conflicts arising between their own personal and professional values, the values and interests of others who are responsible for patient care and health care decisions, as well as those of the patients. Nurses strive to resolve conflicts in ways that ensure patient safety, guard the patient's best interests and preserve the professional integrity of the nurse" (ANA, 2.2).