Den Aristoteliska Etiken: «Förståelsegrund för den erfarna sjuksköterskans moraliskt goda handlande i vården och omsorgen om den gamla människan»

Abstract

The norm — to protect and support the good life — serves as a guide in ethics of care. Therefore, nursing must be based, not only on theoretical and practical knowledge, but also on knowledge built on lived experiences. Having a high level of knowledges and skills makes a nurse able to give good care to elderly individuals and constitute the good role model for nursing students in their clinical education in geriatric care. The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe, with a view to highlight, virtues in moral actions of eight experienced registered nurses, who all worked within geriatric care in Sweden, and whose ultimate purpose is doing good in their care of elderly individuals. Qualitative interviews together with Critical Incident Technique were used for collecting data. Grounds for understanding moral actions were the Aristotelian ethics, within which two kinds of virtues are recognised, i. e. moral — virtues of character — and intellectual virtues focused on episteme (scientific knowledge), techne (art) and phronesis (practical wisdom). Rejoice in actions is also included. The results indicate that the eight experienced — professional — nurses in many ways possess the disposition the Aristotelian virtue ethics prescribe for a moral way of acting. They are in possession of a true knowledge about episteme, techne and phronesis, which is implemeted in their care of elderly individuals. In nursing education, practising geriatric care depends on good role models. Therefore necessary conditions must be fullfilled for nurses, whose moral acting can interprete in Aristotelian termes, to benefit nursing students.