The essential imperative of basic nursing education: an ethical discourse.
The presence of multiple educational pathways into professional nursing is not without ethical consequences. If the essential duty of nursing is to the patient then education must focus on teaching the highest provision of patient care. The humanities component of the baccalaureate provides both insight into the human condition and exposure to alternate problem-solving methodologies, both of which augment the nursing process and improve patient care. An argument is made that by not requiring more rather than less education, we ultimately fail the patient and thus, our ethical duty.
School of Nursing, Adelphi University, One South Avenue, Garden City, New York 11530, USA. peirce@adelphi.edu
Anne Griswold
AG
Peirce
D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000941:ethics*; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D006809:Humanities / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing; D014481:United States