Creating a Personal Ethical Theory: Wellness and Nursing Ethics
This paper addresses two interconnected questions in healthcare ethics. First, it proposes a personal ethical theory centered on wellness promotion — encompassing physical, psychological, and environmental well-being — and examines its limitations relative to care-based ethics. Second, it surveys five major ethical frameworks (Kantian, utilitarian, casuistry, virtue, and care ethics) through the lens of nursing practice, arguing that most nurses rely primarily on casuistry supplemented by situational applications of other theories. The paper draws on the author's professional experience to ground abstract ethical concepts in real clinical and interpersonal contexts.
- Introduction: Wellness as an Ethical Foundation: Wellness promotion proposed as core ethical principle
- Applying Wellness Promotion in Daily Life: Wellness ethics applied to honesty and personal responsibility
- Environmental and Social Dimensions of Wellness: Wellness extended to environmental and social obligations
- Limitations of a Wellness-Based Ethical Theory: Challenges of defining wellness across individuals and contexts
- Ethical Theories in Nursing Practice: Utilitarian and Kantian ethics in nursing decisions
- Care Ethics, Virtue, and Casuistry in Nursing: Care, virtue, and casuistry as dominant nursing frameworks
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds abstract ethical theory in concrete, relatable clinical examples — such as rationing nursing time and advising families about hospice — making complex ideas accessible and credible.
- The author demonstrates genuine self-awareness by acknowledging the limitations of their own proposed theory, which strengthens intellectual honesty and academic credibility.
- The two-part structure mirrors the original questions cleanly, allowing the reader to follow both constructive (building a theory) and evaluative (assessing existing theories) modes of ethical reasoning.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper uses applied ethical reasoning — taking formal philosophical frameworks and testing them against professional experience. Rather than simply defining theories, the author filters each through the practical demands of nursing, revealing which frameworks hold up under real-world conditions. This approach exemplifies how practitioner-scholars integrate theory and lived experience in reflective academic writing.
Structure breakdown
The paper is organized as a two-question response. The first half constructs a personal ethical theory (wellness promotion), develops it across personal, interpersonal, and environmental levels, and then critically examines its weaknesses. The second half surveys five canonical ethical theories, evaluating each through nursing contexts before concluding that casuistry most closely reflects actual clinical decision-making. The progression moves from construction to critique to comparative evaluation.
Introduction: Wellness as an Ethical Foundation
As a healthcare provider, I believe that wellness promotion should be at the core of every ethical system — encompassing the promotion of physical, psychological, and environmental well-being. Wellness is defined according to each patient's specific needs. Wellness promotion for a child might include providing nurturing and care, while for an adolescent it might involve the promotion of autonomy. The types of heroic medical interventions appropriate for promoting wellness at the end of life differ from those appropriate for a mature adult.
Applying Wellness Promotion in Daily Life
Wellness promotion is an important value to uphold in daily life. For example, while honesty is important, telling everyone "the truth" in a harsh and blunt fashion does not necessarily promote change and positive growth — it can simply hurt an individual's feelings. If a friend needs to lose weight, encouraging them to exercise and making it easier to maintain a healthy diet is more conducive to wellness than nagging.
Wellness promotion is also significant on a personal level. Taking care of oneself and not being a burden to others is important. It is personally empowering and satisfying to honor your responsibilities, strive for independence, and take positive control over your life — working to be the best version of yourself. Wellness means peace of mind and living in harmony with others; only by exhibiting compassion is a state of wellness achieved within both the self and society.
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.