Changing values for nursing and health promotion: Exploring the policy context of professional ethics

In this article we illustrate, and argue for, the importance of researching the social context of health professionals' ethical agendas and concerns. We draw upon qualitative interview data from 20 nurses working in two occup ational health sites, and our discussion focuses mainly upon aspects of the shifting 'ethical context' for those nurses with a health promotion remit who are working in the British National Health Service. Within this discuss ion we also raise a number of potentially substantive issues, including the risks of colluding in 'double standards', and the tensions between the pra ctitioner and managerial roles in nursing. Overall, we hope to pose questio ns about the best ways to understand the ethical agency and responsibilitie s of health professionals.