Includes bibliographical references and index

The moral character of nursing -- Trustworthiness -- Imagination -- Beauty -- Space -- Presence -- The challenge of unreasonable demands -- The threat of becoming automatons -- Being good to ourselves -- Creating a civil community -- Being grateful -- Toward a better world

Through an exploration of the ethical nature of nursing, Caring Matters Most asserts that the act of nursing itself embodies goodness. Nurses can develop this moral character in themselves by cultivating five habits: trustworthiness, imagination, beauty, space, and presence. Practicing these habits will sustain nurses as they meet the challenges of the workplace, the threat of automation, and the incivilities that arise within the nursing community. The volume concludes with thought-provoking discussion questions and exercises designed to help nurses apply concepts in the classroom or in practice. Each chapter combines highly readable explanations of moral theory with real-life examples that can guide nurses in day-to-day practice. Caring Matters Most is an ideal resource for academic or practicing nurses interested in healthcare ethics or philosophy