When thinking about the composition of ethics courses for health care
practitioners it is necessary to consider carefully the role of the he
alth care practitioner. An analysis of the concept of role and of the
role of the health care practitioner will, the author argues, help to
clarify what it is reasonable for society to expect from its health ca
re practitioners, from the moral point of view. The author argues that
the most helpful way to view the connection between a person and her/
his role is one in which the individual interacts with and is formed b
y her/his role and in turn shapes and influences the role. The latter
is evidenced by the quality of the person's role enactment. This inter
active relationship between person and role has particular implication
s for the education of health care practitioners. The author argues th
at the quality of the practitioner's role enactment and moral sensitiv
ity has a direct bearing upon patient care. Given that this is the cas
e, emphasis should be placed on the ideas of role, role enactment and
moral strategy during the education of health care practitioners.