TITLE:
Analysis of “care” and “justice” involved in moral reasoning of nurse based on the Gilligan theory: A literature review using the Gilligan’s protocol
AUTHORS:
Kayoko Tsunematsu, Atsushi Asai
KEYWORDS:
Care; Justice; Nurse; Moral Perspective; Moral Reasoning
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.4 No.2,
February
8,
2014
ABSTRACT: The majority of research on the moral development of
nurses is in line with Kohlberg’s theory. However, Gilligan noted that care and justice perspectives coexist in
moral conflict, and during the growth process, each complements each other and
promotes moral development and maturation. Chally, referring to Gilligan’s
theory, which has the perspective of relationship-focused care, argued that the
moral development of nurses should be considered from both care and justice
perspectives. In this paper, we analyzed publications that used Gilligan
protocol to conduct research on moral
conflicts experienced by nurses. Given the importance of care and
justice perspectives in moral reasoning, Gilligan’s theory, which incorporates both perspectives, is useful for analyzing
moral reasoning in nurses. Our analysis suggests that attachment and
connections based on relationships with patients and self-care are essential
elements of care, and self-care is important in moral decision making. The
inequality between nurse and physician roles was an issue raised with the
justice perspective. Since nurses’ roles are strongly influenced by their affection
toward and connections with their patients, it is important not to
overemphasize either perspective.