Ethical Theories

Introduction: On this page, our team members each select an ethical theory and provide a scenario involving a nurse working in a setting with a patient and making a determination if the nurse's actions and/or decisions were “good” or “bad.” Our team shares our personal thoughts on the #TradWife trend. We provide our opinions on whether or not we believe this movement would possibly pose a threat to feminist ethics or the nursing profession.

Meg Blake

1. Religion and Western Ethics: A nurse is working in the ICU when she gets a patient who has a critical hemoglobin and needs a blood transfusion. upon further assessment and chart review it is noted that the patient is a practicing Joehovah's witness and does not accept blodo transfusions. Based on religious ethics this nurse does not give this patient a bloood transfusion as doing so would against the patient's freedom of religion and would consiered morall wrong. 

2. I personally find the TradWife trend appealing in many ways. In my religious culture we are taught than men are to be the heads of a household and that wives are to be their helper, my husband and I personally follow this biblical teaching. While this can certainly be seen as a negative thing, it's important to note that just because my husband is the head of the household, that I have no say in what happens or any part in important decisions. We thoroughly discus finances, lifestyle changes, and other various topics of importance with respect. If there is soemthing that I feel strongly about takes it into account and often times we come to a mututal decision. At the end of these conversations, if a mutual decision was not made, then I submit to his final decision as I respect his position as the head of the house. I acutally find that this eliminates a lot of arguments in our marriage. While I may not always get the final decision, I do get to say "I told you so" when things go sideways (in a loving and playful way of course). 

Sherwin Afable

Nurses need to leave patient care in order to strike. Nurses often strike due to unsafe working conditions, but usually these compromises in the care setting are due to the needs and demands being greater than the resources available. Nurses participating in strikes have to process this dilemma at a personal level as there isn’t a clear correct response. A deontological look at the situation adds some guidance, but the issue remains arguable. Some might argue that the central roles of beneficence and nonmaleficence in healthcare would call nurses and other healthcare workers to endure compromised healthcare environments in order to provide care to the patients that need it. However, you can make the counter argument that working in a compromised healthcare environment makes all care riskier and that participating in a change-promoting strike can create greater long-term impact in improving patient safety. 

I don’t think that adhering to traditional gender roles in a marriage is inherently a bad thing so long as both partners are in agreement.. I had heard someone say that part of feminism is allowing women the right to choose the way they want to live so therefore they should be given the right to choose the blueprint of their lives. The problem with old-school traditional gender roles is that they had the potential to create situations in which women were financially dependent on abusive partners. Honestly, I think that this trend is mostly motivated by nostalgia and the idea of a time where a single person’s income in a marriage was enough to support a family and life was simpler, almost prescribed. While I’m sure that you can make the trad-wife work on even humble budgets, I’m under the impression that a lot of trad-wife content is another display of wealth or status to project onto social media. Having a home to tend is a lot harder these days for young people to achieve and with the cost of living as high as it is, a family is considered fortunate if one person’s income is enough to support the household. In the past, women in the workforce could be something of a point of pride, now it’s a necessity to make ends meet. These days, not having to work is aspirational for many people.

I’m not sure if this trend necessarily threatens the nursing workforce. While a would-be nurse might put their career ambitions on the shelf in order to stay and tend the home, I don’t think that would be particular to nursing. Nursing shortages have been an issue much before the Trad-wife trend gained traction.

Beverly Sumanti

1. Ethical Theory: Virtue Based Ethics

I previously worked in a skilled nursing facility and provided care to a patient with a head injury. The young adult patient was visiting the United States and was in an accident which left her with significant brain damage. She spent months in rehabilitation and was going to be discharged from the facility. Her family and support system was in the Ukraine. The nurse manager at the facility became close to the patient during her stay. She decided to let the patient discharge home with her under her care with the approval of the patient's family. The nurse manager was unable to provide adequate 24 hour care for the medically complex patient in her home. Because of her head injuries the patient had behaviors that were difficult for her to manage. She finally decided to assist in returning the young woman to her home country with her family. Based on the ethical theory: virtue based ethics the nurse had good intentions to ensure the patient had a caregiver and a residence to discharge to. The nurse made a poor decision by violating professional boundaries with the patient. The patient was not receiving the level of care she needed in a supportive environment. 

2. In regards to the Trad Wife trend, I do not have any personal opinion on the subject. However people choose to live with their families in my opinion is their own business. If their family unit is functioning well, they are happy and nobody is being hurt, people should not pass judgment on their lifestyle choices. We live in a free country where the citizens have autonomy to make their own decisions on how they choose to live their lives. I do not think that this trend will threaten feminism or the nursing profession. In modern day society in America, the cost of living and with smaller family sizes make it impractical for many  to stay at home. Another point is the influencers are probably making money from the trend so they are actually working a paid job. 

Ethical Theories

Robel Anshebo

1. A nurse caring for a Muslim patient during the month of Ramadan should consider faith practices and how they may intersect with their duty to care. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from food and drinks. Some Muslims also practice taking all medications before and after sunset during this period. The nurse caring for such a patient would be in the wrong if they continually encourage their patient to take their medications during the day. In this situation, the nurse should recognize this issue and work to manage the patient's care without asking them to break their fast. This can include adjusting the timing of their medications before or after sunset.

2. I don't think the trad-wife will be a threat to feminism. While the trad-wife movement may be a contradiction to feminist ideas, overall, both encourage individuals to commit to their own ideas about family. Feminism was originally founded on the idea of equality and freedom, which includes individuals pursuing nurturing their families over personal or professional growth. Regarding its effect on the nursing workforce, it's uncertain how the decision of more women pursuing family life over their careers will affect the nursing profession. Although nursing has notably been a women-dominated field. Since its early days when more families adhered to traditional gender norms, it's unlikely that nursing as a whole will face negative effects from the broader adoption of traditional gender norms.

Conclusion: Ethical theories are a helpful tool for nurses in order for them to gain a perspective to make a determination if they are making the right choices in patient care. It is helpful for nurses to be aware of social media trends that may have an impact on nursing ethics.