Applying the Ethics of Care to Your Nursing Practice
“I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.” Pablo Casals (2000) nurse’s caring consciousness and moral commitment to make an intentional connection with the patient. The third element, caring occasion/caring moment, is the space and time where the patient and nurse come together in a manner for caring to occur.

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se of the theory of care ethics is discussed to help nurses determine if they are applying this theory effectively in their practice. After a basic definition of caring, including Watson’s caring theory, the evolution of the theory of ethics of care will be delineated briefly. A case will be used to illustrate Tronto’s (1993) four phases of caring and her four elements of care.

Theory of the Ethics of Care
Edwards (2009) described the evolution of the theory of ethics of care over the last 15 years in three versions. First, Gilligan (1982) began the discussion with a focus on the context of the situation versus impartial deliberation of the ethical issue. Impartial reflection is an element of justice-based moral deliberation and does not take into consideration the level of caring or closeness in the relationship. Gilligan was the first to move moral theorizing from a position where selves were seen as independent to a position where selves are interconnected and interdependent. Strangers would not receive the same level of caring as those for whom we experience a personal responsibility. For example, you might agree to care for your neighbor’s cat while she is away, but that is different from agreeing to care for your sister in your home while she is in hospice care. Caring lies on a continuum, with different levels of emotional involvement for individuals in a caring relationship. Second, Tronto’s (1993) major contributions have been in the arena of