ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the notion of partiality. As nurses fulfil an institutional role, they are expected to be impartial in distributing nursing care. The chapter outlines the main aspects of impartiality as a component of justice in nursing care. It considers Brad Hooker's account of impartial application of moral rules. Hooker argues for impartial benevolence as the only direct determiner of everyday practical decision-making. This is an (act-)utilitarian approach for making impartial assessments. Arguments for partiality are traditionally established on the idea that personal relationships with people nurses love or care about have an intrinsic normative value that in itself provides them with reasons for partiality. Partiality in professional care does not presuppose a pre-existing partial standing in any of the forms mentioned above, and one must distinguish between partiality as an act and partiality as a special standing or fondness. In terms of nursing care it is important to emphasise the moral basis of the argument for impartiality.
