Innovative Methods

Ethical concerns: comparison of values from two cultures

The present study was a secondary analysis of data from two phenomenological studies of nurses in the USA and Japan. The study incorporated hermeneutics and feminist methodologies to answer the following questions. Are there common values and ethical concerns and values within the nursing cultures of Japan and the USA? What are some commonalities and differences between Japanese nurses' ethical concerns and those of American nurses? Findings indicated that nurses from the USA and Japan share common values and ethical concerns as professional nurses, including competence, respect for the patient as a person, responsibility, relationship and connection, importance of the family, caring, good death, comfort, truth-telling, understanding the patient/situation, and anticipatory care. Although ethical concerns are similar, related background meanings and actions often look different between cultures; truth-telling is described as an example. Nurses in each country also hold unique values not found in the nursing practice of the other country. Understanding these commonalities and differences is critical for the development of global nursing ethics.

Assessing (audience) construction hazards: depiction of audience as a variable for comparison of health interventions

Current literature regarding health promotion and strategic communication lacks sufficient inquiry regarding the communication assumptions underlying many efforts in that arena and the implications of those assumptions. In addressing that void, the nature of the intended audience could be useful as a variable. Depictions of intended audiences often are apparent in official talk about an intervention, such as in reports or other intervention materials. Examining the language that intervention developers use to characterize intended audience members affords insight regarding the relationships between health professionals and the individuals they seek to engage.