Personal Values Development Paper

Nelson and Trevino (2004) state ethics are "a set of moral principles or values." There has been great discussion concerning the origins of ethical or value development, whether they are inherited by one's parents or learned by life experiences or a combination of both. As a nurse who performs direct patient care in an acute setting, I have witnessed the best and worst of ethical behaviors in both my clients and colleagues. I have had to acknowledge my own ethical value system, challenge it, and develop it throughout my life but never so much as I have since I began my nursing career. The following paper will discuss the background and ground rules of my personal values and identify the major influences that assisted in the development. The potential impact of my personal values and performance in my workplace will be explored as well.

Ground rules of my personal ethicsThe ground rules of my personal ethics are like many others in this world.

British nurse in nurses' station.

Czech nursing students.

The American student nurse Miss Lydia Monroe of Ri...

You do not lie, cheat, or steal. These are the building blocks of any ethic or value system but life does not deal with absolutes. There will always be exceptions to the rules thus values will constantly evolve. Here within this valley of ethical ambiguity lay the true makings of personal ethics.

I am not an atheist but non-denominational. I do not attend church. My higher power and I have had a lot of difficult times throughout my life and are at an impasse. I live life by employing the Golden Rule ethic to as many interactions as possible yet I am human and fall short of my goal too frequently in my opinion. The trick of finding a balance with those deficits is identifying and attempting to rectify them without compromising your own integrity.

I try...