Middle Ground

Nursing leaders and organizations regularly come out and speak of the middle ground, trying to be politically correct, careful not to alienate their membership, and justify the lack of response to current national and world affairs, limiting the nursing scope to only “traditional nursing” activities… you know… the same stuff we’ve been fixing since I became a nurse almost 20 years ago and it was already decades old!
The Nursing Code of Ethics does not call us to the safety of the middle ground; it calls us to moral clarity. As a profession, we are ethically bound to “collectively articulate nursing values, maintain the integrity of the profession, and integrate principles of social justice into health policy.” That is not a suggestion, or at least for me, being part of the profession, I see that as my charge.
Middle ground may feel comfortable, but it often serves the status quo at the expense of those whose lives depend on our advocacy. When patient safety, equity, and justice are on the line, neutrality becomes complicity, and that does not “align” with my values.
Nursing’s diversity is a strength, but our Code makes it clear that our moral obligation is to converge on action, not settle for a patchwork of perspectives. Everyone’s perspective can’t be right… History will not see it as such! Our profession’s credibility comes not from balancing competing voices, but from standing as a collective moral authority for the GLOBAL communities we serve. Our code of ethics is without flags and borders!!!
Bravery is lacking, a moral compass is lacking, and our leaders are remaining silent and silencing others in fear of retribution! This is our reality as a profession…
For those individuals continuing to raise your voice and fighting for the global community… I hear you, and I thank you!