Christian Ethics and Nursing Practice

by Lorie M. Wild; Heidi A. Monroe; Richard B. Steele

Publisher:

Cascade Books

, 2020

Overview

Christian Ethics and Nursing Practice shows how the religious and moral teachings of the Christian Bible compare, contrast, and correlate with the ethical standards of modern nursing, as stated in the Code of Ethics for Nurses. It describes four main strands of moral discourse in the Bible--law, holiness, wisdom, and prophecy--and shows the relevance of those strands for contemporary bedside and advanced practice nursing. The work could serve as a textbook for courses in nursing ethics at Christian colleges and universities or as a guidebook for practicing nurses, who have devoted their lives to caring for the sick, the injured, the elderly, the disabled, and the dying as a way of living out their commitment to Jesus Christ.

Praise for Christian Ethics and Nursing Practice

“Within healthcare and nursing there has been a growing emphasis on the importance of spirituality. . . . This book helps to move us beyond the general to the particularities of the Christian tradition and asks and seeks to answer the question: what might it look like if we took biblically based Christian ethics seriously within a nursing context? The result is a deep, rich, challenging, and potentially healing book that offers an important contribution to the ongoing conversations around the role of spirituality and religion within healthcare. This is an important book that deserves serious consideration.”

—John Swinton, Registered Mental Nurse; Registered Nurse for People with Learning Disabilities; Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies, University of Aberdeen



“Christian Ethics and Nursing Practice makes a thought-provoking and unique contribution to the nursing literature. Its detailed exploration of the linkages between the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses and the scriptural strands of law, holiness, wisdom, and prophecy provide a robust framework within which to consider the realities of nursing practice. The culminating explication of moral maturity in the Christian nurse is particularly instructive. This team of scholars provides a vital resource for nurses.”

—Mary Molewyk Doornbos, Registered Nurse; Chair and Professor of Nursing, Calvin University; author of Transforming Care: A Christian Vision of Nursing Practice



“Steele and Monroe have done a superb job in presenting the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses within a solid biblical framework. This gem of a book informs ethical nursing practice from a clearly articulated Christian worldview. The theology and nursing expertise of the authors blend a scholarly and professional aspect to ethical practice that is both intellectually sound and readily applicable to patient care situations across the lifespan and in diverse practice settings. As a nurse educator, I find the tips and strategies embedded in each chapter especially helpful for enhancing the student learning experience. A wonderful resource for both undergraduate and graduate nursing courses.”

—Valorie Orton, Registered Nurse; Clinical Nurse Leader; Assistant Professor of Nursing, George Fox University



“Drs. Steele and Monroe have articulated a masterful and scholarly treatise on one of the recurring conundrums in a Christian’s delivery of ethical health care, i.e., ‘Which comes first, “my sacred” or “my secular” Being?’ . . .This is a must read for both the health professions student as well as the seasoned practitioner.”

—Samuel Lin, Rear Admiral and Assistant Surgeon General (Retired), US Public Health Service; Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health (Retired), US Department of Health and Human Services



“Steele and Monroe provide an exquisite text connecting four strands of moral discourse found in the Bible to the professional Code of Ethics for Nurses. Deep, contextual analyses of biblical texts are presented and compared to the moral values, character, and ethical comportment required of the professional nurse. Each chapter culminates in current illustrations of the relationship of moral discourse in the Bible to the virtuous practice of today’s nurse through clinical stories. Additionally, the authors provide excellent reflective exercises that may generate group discussion or personal reflection to enhance understanding of the significant connections between Christian faith and the practice of professional nursing.”

—Cheryl B. Crotser, Registered Nurse; Nurse Executive-Board Certified; Dean and Director of Graduate Programs, School of Nursing, Roberts Wesleyan College



“Steele and Monroe attempt to negotiate two interpretive frameworks of caregiving and succeed in doing so. They describe the various aspects of the nurse’s professional roles, while always acknowledging that for the Christian practitioner the moral life is defined as imitation of Christ expressed in habits of holy living and obedience to standards of goodness. They, then, provide analytical mechanisms for the Christian practitioner. In doing so, they offer an overall model for the nurse in a clinical setting to fulfill ‘vocation’—in both the narrow sense of professional vocation and broad sense of living for God. The work is obviously meant as a text but can well serve the veteran nurse addressing seemingly endless morally complex circumstances.”

—James R. Thobaben, Dean, School of Theology & Formation, Asbury Theological Seminary; author of Health Care Ethics: A Comprehensive Christian Resource

Product Details

• Title: Christian Ethics and Nursing Practice
• Authors: Lorie M. Wild, Heidi A. Monroe, Richard B. Steele
• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Print Publication Date: 2020
• Logos Release Date: 2020
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Ebook
• ISBNs: 9781532665066, 9781532665042, 9781532665059, 1532665067, 1532665040, 1532665059
• Resource ID: LLS:9781532665066
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-12-22T21:52:33Z

About the Authors

Richard Steele is an ordained United Methodist minister, who served rural and suburban churches in Wisconsin before being appointed as Professor of Moral and Historical Theology at Seattle Pacific University. He is the author or coauthor of four books and numerous articles in the fields of narrative theology, Christian ethics, and ministry to and with persons with disabilities.



Heidi Monroe is Assistant Professor of Nursing at Seattle Pacific University, with a long record of clinical practice as a pediatric registered nurse at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Her teaching and research focus on the education and practice of clinical ethics in nursing.