Compassion and Care as a Moral Ideal

Paper Summary:

This paper was written by a nurse after she was present at a stillbirth. Feeling out of her depth while comforting the parents, the author realized that she had not been witness before to this level of suffering.
The paper goes on to discuss ethical issues such as beneficence and nonmaleficence and continues to explore compassion and care as a moral ideal.

Outline:
Looking Back
Elaborate
Analysis
Revision
New Perspective

From the Paper:

"Nurses continually encounter human suffering and "in their everyday practice face unique and complex situations which are unsolvable by technical rational approaches" (Atkins & Murphy, 1993, p. 1188). Reflection on certain issues is absolutely essential and in certain cases provides the only way out of what would amount to moral paralysis. As Kinsella (2002) observes, all the knowledge that we possess begins in some way with experience. Atkins and Murphy (1998, p. 1189) define reflection as learning as "intellectual and affective activities in which individuals engage to explore their experiences in order to lead to new understandings and appreciations". In my own case, I felt concern and anxiety that I was perhaps losing compassion but on reflection I realized that this was not logical. According to Atkins and Murphy (1993), the first stage of the reflective process is motivated by negative feelings and thoughts. I also engaged in intellectual activities by undertaking a very serious exploration of major nursing theories. This is the stage that Atkins and Murphy (1993) view as constructive since it involves exploring both feelings and knowledge. I did realize that the process of reflection might require substantial time because, as Mezirow (1998) clarifies, reflection in itself cannot automatically result in new integrated and comprehensive perspectives. Atkins and Murphy (1993) distinguish between reflection-in-action which occurs while practicing and while I was with Mrs. B and her husband versus reflection-on-action which is the time-consuming and main part of reflection."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Atkins, S., & Murphy, K. (1993). Reflection: A review of the literature. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 18, 1188-1192.
• Burnard, P. (1995). Nurse educators' perceptions of reflection and reflective practice: a report of a descriptive study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 21, 1167-1174.
• Fitzpatrick, J. & Whall, A. (1989). Conceptual models of nursing. San Mateo, CA: Appleton & Lange.
• Greenwood, J. (1993). Reflective practice: A critique of the work of Argyris and Schon. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 18, 1183-1187.
• Kinsella, E. (2001). Reflections on reflective practice. The Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68 (3), 195-198.

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