Lipscomb M. Nursing's professional character: A chimera?
Nurs Philos 2024;
25:e12477. [PMID:
38375959 DOI:
10.1111/nup.12477]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Does nursing possess a character? The idea that professions have characters is hard to sustain, and the possibility that nursing as a collectively or occupation lacks a character is worth considering. To this end it is argued that absent robust theoretical and/or evidential scaffolding it is implausible to suppose that nursing has an objectively real (reality describing) character, and if 'nursing's character' is chimeric or illusory, aspects of our conception of professionalism require reappraisal. Specifically, traits and values that attach to nursing and are implicated in the concept of character are, shorn of their moorings, untethered. This may be significant.
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