NURSING ETHICS INTO THE NEXT MILLENNIUM - A CONTEXT-SENSITIVE APPROACH FOR NURSING ETHICS

The aim of this article is to argue for the need for a context-sensiti ve approach to the understanding of ethical issues in nursing practice as we face the next millennium. This approach means that the idea of universalism must be questioned because ethics is an interpersonal act ivity, set in a specific context. This view is based on issues that ar ise in international collaborative research as well as in research foc used on ethical problems in nursing practice. Moral values are indigen ous to a particular culture and influence beliefs about health and ill ness as well as what priorities are to be made in providing health car e. Nursing practice must include thoughtful reflection on the meaning of moral concepts and principles in terms of culture. Theoretical deve lopments in nursing ethics must be based on empirical research focusin g on contextual aspects of health care.