Ethics in nursing: the case for ethics

Introduction: why is a study of ethics crucial to nurses and other health professionals? The way we live our lives and care for others – or do not care for them – is not free of ethical and moral considerations. Our actions are governed by our thinking, attitudes, values and beliefs. Even if we would like to feel that our conduct is influenced by other considerations, law, ethics and morality also influence our reasoning and behaviour. For example, the law relating to theft will punish us for the act of stealing from our fellow men/women, but at the root of this is the moral belief that no person should be deprived of property by a thief. Aware of the legal consequences of stealing we may also be discouraged from stealing. Our cultural values may tell us it is wrong to steal; moreover, what we steal someone may have worked very hard to acquire. Even thieves may sometimes have their conscience pricked by what they have done to others, namely depriving them of their earthly possessions. This indicates that even thieves may have a sense of what is right and wrong. We may also refrain from stealing because of possible consequences, such as the risk of being caught and punished.