We begin, in section 2, with a brief sketch of a cluster of assumptions about human desires, beliefs, actions, and motivation that are widely shared by historical and contemporary authors on both sides in the debate. With this as background, we’ll be able to offer a more sharply focused account of the debate. In section 3, our focus will be on links between evolutionary theory and the egoism/altruism debate. There is a substantial literature employing evolutionary theory on each side of (...) the issue. However, it is our contention that neither camp has offered a convincing case. We are much more sanguine about recent research on altruism in social psychology, which will be our topic in section 4. Though we don’t think this work has resolved the debate, we will argue that it has made illuminating progress – progress that philosophers interested in the question cannot afford to ignore. (shrink)

This study described the relationships between academic class and student moral sensitivity and reasoning and between curriculum design components for ethics education and student moral sensitivity and reasoning. The data were collected from freshman (n = 506) and senior students (n = 440) in eight baccalaureate nursing programs in South Korea by survey; the survey consisted of the Korean Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire and the Korean Defining Issues Test. The results showed that moral sensitivity scores in patient-oriented care and conflict were (...) higher in senior students than in freshman students. Furthermore, more hours of ethics content were associated with higher principled thinking scores of senior students. Nursing education in South Korea may have an impact on developing student moral sensitivity. Planned ethics content in nursing curricula is necessary to improve moral sensitivity and moral reasoning of students. (shrink)

Reflection is a method of learning and teaching professional maturity through the critical analysis of experience. An illuminative research approach was used over a period of five years in collaboration with students on a palliative care course to investigate the effects of learning moral and ethical reasoning by reliving clinical experiences through story telling. This study concludes that: self-concept is enhanced; communication skills are increased; and insight development is part of learning to reason fairly and ethically, and is achieved through (...) a cathartic process, leading to the conceptualization and discovery of theories of nursing through reflective practice. (shrink)

The Moral Psychology Handbook offers a survey of contemporary moral psychology, integrating evidence and argument from philosophy and the human sciences.

This study examined the relationship between moral distress intensity, moral distress frequency and the ethical work environment, and explored the relationship of demographic characteristics to moral distress intensity and frequency. A group of 106 nurses from two large medical centers reported moderate levels of moral distress intensity, low levels of moral distress frequency, and a moderately positive ethical work environment. Moral distress intensity and ethical work environment were correlated with moral distress frequency. Age was negatively correlated with moral distress intensity, (...) whereas being African American was related to higher levels of moral distress intensity. The ethical work environment predicted moral distress intensity. These results reveal a difference between moral distress intensity and frequency and the importance of the environment to moral distress intensity. (shrink)

Initial writings and moral distress research focused on nursing, however, it soon became clear that others in healthcare also experienced moral distress. The narratives discussed in this commentary show this variation not only in the authors’ multiplicity of disciplines (psychologists, nurses, an ethicist, and physicians), but also in their workplace environments (prisons, hospitals, and homecare) and their roles, from students to well accomplished professionals. In other words no one is immune. By looking through the lens of time the author shows (...) that the experience of moral distress is not isolated in time, but in fact continues to be lived over time. Other important themes drawn out here are: isolation, powerlessness, failure, regret, undermined potential and the way feelings are experienced. It is also noted that despite the pain and angst, there is a sense of gratitude in these stories. They touch our own woundedness, remind us of our own resiliency and give us hope for the redemptive power of the experience and reflection. (shrink)

Healthcare professionals encounter a variety of emotion-laden events involving ethical implications and choices. These events may trigger deeply felt negative emotions, which can limit an individual’s ability to make ethical decisions, and result in emotional labor. The topic of emotional labor, though studied extensively with customer service workers, has recently been investigated with regard to healthcare professionals, including nurses, clinical psychologists, and physicians. Studies focused on these populations have revealed widespread instances of emotional labor, commonly accompanied by various negative physical (...) and psychological health consequences. Accordingly, emotion regulation strategies are important to explore in order to counteract the negative health outcomes. Recommendations for ways to cope with emotional demands for healthcare employees are provided. (shrink)

Book reviewed in this article: Clinical Ethics: A Practical Approach to Ethical Decisions in Clinical Medicine. By Albert R. Jonsen, Mark Siegler, and William J. Winslade.