Introduction

Abstract

This Chapter provides an outline of reasons for developing a clinical ethics handbook for nurses that is both practical in orientation and relevant internationally. Foundational to the rest of the book, are definitions of various concepts we rely upon to make our points. Defining ‘health’ in the context of clinical settings is a priority for mutual understanding among the different professions. A ‘clinical setting’ is any organized inpatient or outpatient location providing healthcare services. Differences and similarities in branches of healthcare and professional ethics and their mutual goals along with distinct perspectives on how to meet those goals are clarified. Both mutual goals and the distinct perspectives of the different healthcare professions are ethical in nature. They aim to provide for the individual and social good of healthcare. We delineate aspects of the struggle to practice well within the increasing complexity of contemporary healthcare environments, noting that nurses often bear the largest burden in the struggle because of their proximity to patients and their families. The knowledge, skills, and attributes needed for nurse moral agency—ability to practice ethically—in interdisciplinary settings are outlined. Highlighted is the importance of preventive ethics and of understanding context, engaging in effective communication, and collaborative efforts to provide good care. We describe how our prior mutual and individual work to inform the structure of the book.