Conscience, conscientious objection, and nursing: A concept analysis:

Background:Ethical nursing practice is increasingly challenging, and strategies for addressing ethical dilemmas are needed to support nurses’ ethical care provision. Conscientious objection is one such strategy for addressing nurses’ personal, ethical conflicts, at times associated with conscience. Exploring both conscience and conscientious objection provides understanding regarding their implications for ethical nursing practice, research, and education.Research aim:To analyze the concepts of conscience and conscientious objection in the context of nurses.Design:Concept analysis using the method by Walker and Avant.Research context:Data were retrieved from Philosopher’s Index, PubMed, and CINAHL with no date restrictions.Ethical consideration:This analysis was carried out per established, scientific guidelines.Findings:Ethical concepts are integral to nursing ethics, yet little is known about conscientious objection in relation to conscience for nurses. Of note, both concepts are well established in eth...