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Virtuous Principles as an Ethic for Nursing
Anthony G Tuckett
School of Nursing, The University of Queensland, QLD
Abstract
A theoretical analysis of virtuous principles - beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and justice - provides a response to the question: 'How ought ethical nursing practice be characterised ?' These virtuous principles promote human flourishing and sustain and strengthen nursing practice. Beneficence, described as acting to benefit others, incorporates a balance of benefit over harm and requires nurses to take action. Non- maleficence calls nurses to refrain from inflicting harm and defines prohibitions over action. Autonomy, defined as self-governance and self-determination, may have limitations so that absolute or perfect autonomy might be unrealistic. Finally, Justice, a problematic concept, is aligned with fairness and what a patient deserves.
Keywords
virtue, beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, justice, ethics
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