ABSTRACT
The concepts of moral distress, moral resilience and moral courage are related to the idea that healthcare professionals have ethical responsibilities toward those they serve. However, the uncritical acceptance of these concepts when inadequately defined for purpose leads to confusion about the extent of professional responsibilities and thus what is needed to develop the moral agency of nurses – among other healthcare professionals. In this chapter, Pamela J. Grace explores the scope and limits of these concepts, as well as their underlying logic in relation to how helpful they are for understanding what is required for the development of nurse moral agency.
