Envisioning an Ethical Climate in Nursing Education Programs

Abstract

The importance of creating healthy and ethical work environments in the clinical setting has been a focus in nursing for several years. However, research has found that incidents of incivility and bullying occur in academia as well. Nurse educators often face complex situations in the academic workplace that have ethical implications, including relationships with each other, academic administrators, and students. A review of the evidence indicates that studies have considered the importance of creating an ethical environment in nursing practice, and incivility, but few have focused on healthy work environments in academia. This article presents the nine provisions of the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses in the context of the nursing academic environment as a framework to discuss the philosophical and practical importance of envisioning an ethical environment within academic settings. Examples of relationships are provided that demonstrate a positive ethical climate or illustrate areas in need of reflection for improvement, with suggested implications for practice.