[Ethics in nursing].

Abstract

The conclusion reached at the end of this article is that there is a crisis in the ethics of nursing and that the focus of the ethics of nursing should be on virtues. The reconstruction of a virtue-based ethics in nursing is proposed as a solution for the current crisis in the ethics of nursing. With an analysis conducted on the ethics of nursing the story is told of an individual nurse within nursing in the South African society. Certain concepts to ethics as well as the dimensions of ethics in nursing are explained within the narrative of nursing. The institutionalisation of ethics of nursing is described based on the three ethical traditions that moved from virtues, to responsibility to human rights. An analysis of the moral practice in nursing indicates that a crisis in the ethics of nursing exist within the last tradition of human rights because of the conflict between the rights of the nurse and the patient. Through the analysis it becomes clear that no rules, codes or law can ensure moral behaviour. The control over moral behaviour should rather be internal than external. If a person does not have the virtues he or she does not understands the rules and human rights and responsibilities have a different meaning for them.