ABSTRACT
There is increasing uncertainty about the ethical basis on which nurses and their organisations–should operate. The growing globalisation of nursing, nurses moving from culture to culture, and nursing organisations dealing with nurses and patients from many different societies, have all contributed to this quandary. Broadly speaking, individuals come to their ethical views as a result of their cultural beliefs and experiences. To value integrity, members of the profession at all levels should strive to integrate their actions with their stated professional values, roles and objectives. In culturally complex societies the appropriateness of nurses respecting the cultural views of patients is generally accepted. If nursing organisations, managers and professional bodies accept the global basis for nursing ethics put forward in the chapter, they should also accept that they have an obligation to make clear the core values and objectives of nursing to people who are considering joining the profession, as well as to those who may become patients.
