title: Ethical concerns: comparison of values from two cultures.
abstract: The present study was a secondary analysis of data from two phenomenological studies of nurses in the USA and Japan. The study incorporated hermeneutics and feminist methodologies to answer the following questions. Are there common values and ethical concerns and values within the nursing cultures of Japan and the USA? What are some commonalities and differences between Japanese nurses' ethical concerns and those of American nurses? Findings indicated that nurses from the USA and Japan share common values and ethical concerns as professional nurses, including competence, respect for the patient as a person, responsibility, relationship and connection, importance of the family, caring, good death, comfort, truth-telling, understanding the patient/situation, and anticipatory care. Although ethical concerns are similar, related background meanings and actions often look different between cultures; truth-telling is described as an example. Nurses in each country also hold unique values not found in the nursing practice of the other country. Understanding these commonalities and differences is critical for the development of global nursing ethics.
authors.affiliation: Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing, Linfield College, Portland, OR 97210, USA. pwros@linfield.edu
authors.forename: Peggy L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Wros
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Doutrich
authors.forename: Shigeko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Izumi
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel / Q000208:ethnology*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D028781:Ethical Relativism; D005181:Faculty, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D019513:Feminism; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D033262:Narration; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000941:ethics* / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010344:Patient Advocacy / Q000941:ethics; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012945:Social Values / Q000208:ethnology*; D014342:Truth Disclosure / Q000941:ethics; D014481:United States