Ethical Reasoning in Capstone Students

Abstract

Complex ethical issues characterize current healthcare environments. Nurse educators have been charged in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Nursing Practice document with the responsibility to provide baccalaureate graduates with the knowledge and skills to apply ethical decision-making frameworks to clinical practice. However, there is a paucity of literature on ethical reasoning in nursing students. The purpose of this paper is to describe ethical reasoning in capstone students in an integrated baccalaureate nursing program. Themes identified from clinical journal entries include integration of ethics into both personal and professional life, strengthened commitment to professional integrity, and integration of the ethics of care with the ethics of justice. Helping students focus on empowered caring in nursing practice may be a significant way in which nurses can reform flawed healthcare delivery systems.