Dialogical nursing ethics: the quality of freedom restrictions.
This article deals with the question of how ethicists respond to practical moral problems emerging in health care practices. Do they remain distanced, taking on the role of an expert, or do they become engaged with nurses and other participants in practice and jointly develop contextualized insights about good care? A basic assumption of dialogical ethics entails that the definition of good care and what it means to be a good nurse is a collaborative product of ongoing dialogues among various stakeholders engaged in the practice. This article discusses the value of a dialogical approach to ethics by drawing on the work of various nursing scholars. We present a case example concerning the quality of freedom restrictions for intellectually disabled people. Issues for discussion include the role and required competences of the ethicist and dealing with asymmetrical relationships between stakeholders.
Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. t.abma@zw.unimaas.nl
Tineke A
TA
Abma
Guy A M
GA
Widdershoven
Brenda J M
BJ
Frederiks
Rob H
RH
van Hooren
Frans
F
van Wijmen
Paul L M G
PL
Curfs
D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D028663:Ethical Theory; D026822:Ethicists / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology*; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D005610:Freedom; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D009014:Morals; D033262:Narration; D009426:Netherlands; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D009742:Nursing Theory; D010344:Patient Advocacy / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D019989:Persons with Intellectual Disabilities / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011340:Problem Solving; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D024382:Professional Role / Q000523:psychology; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000941:ethics