'What is professional ethics?'. (March 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Brecher, Bob
• Is Part Of: Nursing ethics. Volume 21:Number 2(2014:Apr.)
• Page Start: 239
• Page End: 244
• Publication Date: 2014-03
• Subjects: Codes -- ethics -- morality -- professional -- professional ethics; Nursing ethics -- Periodicals; 174.2907305
• DOI: 10.1177/0969733013484485
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0969-7330

Abstract

The very term 'professional ethics' is puzzling with respect to what both 'professional' and 'ethics' might mean. I argue (1) that professionalism is ambiguous as to whether or not it is implicitly committed to ethical practice; (2) that to be 'professionally' ethical is at best ambiguous, if not in fact bizarre; and (3) that, taken together, these considerations suggest that professional ethics is something to be avoided rather than lauded.