Grappling with Ethical Ideology and Religiosity

Abstract

I read with interest the article in the current issue of the Journal of Community and Public Health Nursing related to ethical ideology and religiosity written by Malloy et al. [1]. In the article, the authors say that nurses' religiosity, ethical idealism and ethical relativism differ as a function of country/culture” and question whether these ideals affect a nurse’s personal practice (abstract). I have similar questions. It seems likely that most nurses would accept and adopt their own culture’s ethical and ideological beliefs early in life. However, I wonder how many health care providers continue to use these early ideologies as they provide care for their patients, especially when those patients have diverse backgrounds. In a society where cultural differences are growing, health providers are challenged to understand and respect others’ belief systems and then use this understanding to provide culturally appropriate care.