Aims and Objectives:  The aim of this study was to identify and describe the ethical values in caring encounters as experienced by older patients in their daily interaction with nurses in wards for older people.Background: Ethical values and morals are important aspects that influence the quality of care.

Methods: Empirical observational study including follow-up interviews. Twenty-two older patients participated voluntarily in this study. Constant comparative analysis, the core foundation of grounded theory was used. Results: Five categories; Being addressed, receiving respect, desiring to participate, increasing self-determination and gaining self-confidence formed the bases for the core category:

Approaching: Approaching concerns how people become closer to each other in a physical space .It also includes how people become closer to each other in a dialogue, involving verbal or bodily communication.

Conclusions and Relevance to Clinical Practice: Approaching indicates the ethical values that guide nurses in their caring encounters with older patients. These values are noted by the patient and have an individual value as well as leading to improved quality of their care. The older patient will be confident and satisfied with the caring encounter if the desired components in the nurse’s approaching are exhibited.

The aim of this study was to identify and describe the governing ethical values that next of kin experience in interaction with nurses who care for elderly patients at a geriatric clinic.

Interviews with fourteen next of kin were conducted and data were analysed by Constant comparative analysis. Four categories were identified: Receiving, showing respect, facilitating participation and showing professionalism. These categories formed the basis of the core category: “Being amenable”, a concept identified in the next of kin’s description of the ethical values that they and the elderly patients perceive in the caring encounter.  Being amenable means that the nurses are guided by ethical values; taking into account the elderly patient and the next of kin. Nurses’ focusing on elderly patients’ well-being as a final criterion affects the next of kin and their experience of this fundamental condition for high quality care seems to be fulfilled.

Aim. The aim of the study was to identify nurses’ ethical values, which become apparent through their behavior in the interactions with older patients in caring encounters at a geriatric clinic.

Background. Descriptions of ethics in caring practice are a problem since they are vague compared with the four principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.

Methods. A Grounded Theory methodology was used. In total, 65 observations and follow-up interviews with 20 nurses were conducted, and data were analysed by constant comparative analysis.

Findings. Three categories were identified: showing consideration, connecting, and caring for. These categories formed the basis of the core category: “Corroborating”.  In corroborating the focus is on the person in need of integrity and self-determination, that is, the autonomy principle. A similar concept was earlier described in regard to confirming. Corroborating deals more with support and interaction. It is not enough to be kind and show consideration, i.e. to benefit someone; nurses must also connect and care for the older person, i.e. demonstrate non-maleficence, in order to corroborate that person.

Conclusion. The findings of this study can improve the ethics of nursing care.  There is a need for research on development of a high standard of nursing care to corroborate the older patients in order to maintain their autonomy, beneficence and non-maleficence. The principal of justice was not specifically identified as a visible nursing action.  However, all older patients received treatment, care and reception in an equivalent manner.

The aim of this study was to synthesize the concepts from empirical studies and analyze, compare and interrelate them with normative ethics. International Council of nurses (ICN) and the Health and Medical Service Act are normative ethics. Five concepts were used in the analysis; three from the grounded theory studies and two from the theoretical framework on normative ethics. A simultaneous concept analysis resulted in five outcomes; interconnectedness, interdependence, corroboratedness, completeness and good care are all related to the empirical perspective of the nurse’s interaction with the older patient, and the normative perspective, i.e. that found in ICN code and SFS law. Empiric ethics and normative ethics are intertwined according to the findings of this study. Normative ethics are supporting documents for nurses as professionals and by extension also beneficial for older patients.