The Ethical Nurse, Character, and Authenticity
Every time we hold a person responsible for what he has done, we acknowledge in effect that a deed which can be judged morally has an intimate and internal connection with the character of the one from whom the deed issued. - John Dewey, 1932/2009, p. 342 In The Moral Self , Dewey (1932/2009) stated: “ Selfhood or character is not a mere means, an external instrument, of attaining certain ends. . . . It is an agency of accomplishing consequences. . . . The self reveals its nature in what it chooses ” (p. 342) . This thought process is applicable to nurses as well. If, as Dewey postulates, ethics is part of a person’s character and therefore a part of one self, perhaps nurses can draw upon these inherent factors in an attempt to practice ethically and authentically. This practice is evident through the actions they choose when confronted with an ethical situation or dilemma. If students are able to act according to their feelings and convictions, being true to ...