Abstract
Introduction: Ethics in the nursing profession aligns with the ethics of care; however, most research and knowledge about the ethics of care in nursing remains limited. This research synthesizes nursing ethics based on ethical theory, using concepts from Gilligan (1982) and Tronto (2013), to develop and apply appropriate ethics of care in nursing contexts.
Research Objectives:
- To compile research related to ethics of care in nursing profession; and
- To synthesize the characteristics, components, and indicators of the ethics of care in the nursing profession.
Research Design: A systematic literature review using the for Systematic Reviews and Preferred Reporting Items Meta-Analyses framework was used to guide the study.
Research Methodology: Research was searched using databases including CINAHL Complete, EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) plus Full Text, JSTOR, Science Direct, and SpringerLink Journal. The research scope was set between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2023. The keywords used were ‘ethics of care’ OR ‘ethical caring AND ‘nursing’ OR ‘nurse’AND Tronto OR Gilligan. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist was used as a quality assessment tool. Studies that did not meet the criteria and those of low quality were excluded.
Results: Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Five used a qualitative method, one employed a descriptive cross-sectional design, and another one was participartoty action research (PAR). According to Gilligan (1982) and Tronto (2013) concepts, those examined ethics of care nursing profession, and comprised of five components: 1) Attentiveness, 2) Ethical Responsibility, 3) Ethical Competence, 4) Ethical Responsiveness, and 5) Ethical Mutual Care. The findings showed that the characteristics and components of the ethics of care in the nursing profession have specific features that reflect nursing practice and care processes in the nursing profession, which can be developed and applied in nursing contexts.
Recommendations: Although considerable research has been conducted on the ethics of care components, there is still no evidence of measurement and evaluation implementation. Hence, further studies should explore measurement and evaluation models that should be used under the ethics of care components.
Notes
References:
Birt, L., Lane, K., Corner, J., Sanderson, K., & Bunn, D. (2023). Care-home Nurses'
responses to the COVID-19 pandemic: Managing ethical conundrums at personal cost: A qualitative study. Journal of nursing scholarship : an official publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, 55(1), 226–238. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12855
Buchanan, K., Geraghty, S., Whitehead, L., & Newnham, E. (2023). Woman-centred
ethics: A feminist participatory action research. Midwifery, 117, 103577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2022.103577
Gilbert, R., & Lillekroken, D. (2024). Nurses' perceptions of how their professional
autonomy influences the moral dimension of end-of-life care to nursing home residents- a qualitative study. BMC nursing, 23(1), 216. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01865-5
Hovenga, N., Landeweer, E., Vinckers, F., Leget, C., & Zuidema, S. (2024).
Family involvement in dementia special care units in nursing homes: A qualitative care ethical study into family experiences. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 80(1), 200-13.
Hupkens, S., Goumans, M., Derkx, P., & Machielse, A. (2020). Nurse's attunement to patient's meaning in life - a qualitative study of experiences of Dutch adults ageing in place. BMC nursing, 19, 41. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-020-00431-z
Katayama, H., Muramatsu, T., Aoki, Y., & Nagashima, E. (2022). Psychometric
evaluation of the Ethical Caring Competency Scale in nursing. BMC nursing, 21(1), 103. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-00886-2
Novy, C., Thomas, R., Grassau, P., Gifford, W., & Hosseini, M. (2023). Relational Care, Dementia, and Communication Challenges in Long-Term Care: A Meta-Ethnography. Canadian journal on aging = La revue canadienne du vieillissement, 42(2), 259–270. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980822000253
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Systematic Review
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Ethics, Ethical Theory, Ethics of Care
Recommended Citation
Sungsakul, Wimonpan; Ngudgratoke, Sungworn; Nakorn, Nalinee Na; and Koedsri, Anusorn, "Nursing Ethics of Care: A Systematic Review" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 110.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/posters_2025/110
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Nursing Ethics of Care: A Systematic Review
Seattle, Washington, USA
Introduction: Ethics in the nursing profession aligns with the ethics of care; however, most research and knowledge about the ethics of care in nursing remains limited. This research synthesizes nursing ethics based on ethical theory, using concepts from Gilligan (1982) and Tronto (2013), to develop and apply appropriate ethics of care in nursing contexts.
Research Objectives:
- To compile research related to ethics of care in nursing profession; and
- To synthesize the characteristics, components, and indicators of the ethics of care in the nursing profession.
Research Design: A systematic literature review using the for Systematic Reviews and Preferred Reporting Items Meta-Analyses framework was used to guide the study.
Research Methodology: Research was searched using databases including CINAHL Complete, EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) plus Full Text, JSTOR, Science Direct, and SpringerLink Journal. The research scope was set between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2023. The keywords used were ‘ethics of care’ OR ‘ethical caring AND ‘nursing’ OR ‘nurse’AND Tronto OR Gilligan. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist was used as a quality assessment tool. Studies that did not meet the criteria and those of low quality were excluded.
Results: Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Five used a qualitative method, one employed a descriptive cross-sectional design, and another one was participartoty action research (PAR). According to Gilligan (1982) and Tronto (2013) concepts, those examined ethics of care nursing profession, and comprised of five components: 1) Attentiveness, 2) Ethical Responsibility, 3) Ethical Competence, 4) Ethical Responsiveness, and 5) Ethical Mutual Care. The findings showed that the characteristics and components of the ethics of care in the nursing profession have specific features that reflect nursing practice and care processes in the nursing profession, which can be developed and applied in nursing contexts.
Recommendations: Although considerable research has been conducted on the ethics of care components, there is still no evidence of measurement and evaluation implementation. Hence, further studies should explore measurement and evaluation models that should be used under the ethics of care components.
Description
Ethics of care in nursing literature review (2019-2023) analyzed 7 studies using PRISMA framework. Analysis revealed 5 key components: Attentiveness, Ethical Responsibility, Competence, Responsiveness, and Mutual Care. While research exists on these components, measurement methods are lacking. Future work should develop evaluation models for ethical care in nursing practice.