I believe that the core of nursing is being an advocate for the welfare of the whole patient and family. The core of nursing is best described as the five core values of nursing. These values are essential to a professional nurse. They are social justice, altruism, integrity, dignity, and autonomy.
“Social justice implies that there is a fair and equitable distribution of benefits and bearing of burdens in a society ( (Fahrewald, Bassett, Tschetter, Carson, White, & Winterboer, 2005). Refers to people being able to live a fulfilling life and be a positive active contributor to their community. Nurses are to encourage and support the freedom of choice in our patients and family care.
"Nursing has embraced advocacy as a professional construct... [and it] includes a complex interaction between nurses, patients, professional colleagues, and the public (Selanders and Crane (2012)". “Through advocacy nurses are empowered and are able to meet the needs of patients individually and collectively (Kristjándóttir, G.(2013)”.
Altruism is “feelings and behavior that show a desire to help other people and a lack of selfless (Murphy, 1994)”. Nurses must have a sincere concern for the welfare of others. Ethically and morally nurses have taken an oath to care for the patient without regards to one’s self. For example an aggressive or violent patient, an incurable contagious diseased patient. Absolute selfless acts of caring for the lives of others.
Integrity is “an uncompromising adherence of the code of moral, artistic, or other values: utter sincerity, honesty, and candor: avoidance of deception, expediency, artificiality, or shallowness of any kind (Murphy, 1994)”. Integrity is associated with accountability and responsibility for one’s own actions and bounties are set values for nurses. They must maintain an attitude of honesty, fairness, trustworthiness, openness, and nonjudgmental in self, others, and institution.
Dignity is defined as “formal reserve of manner, appearance, behavior, or language: behavior that accords with self-respect or with regard for the seriousness of occasion or purpose” (Murphy, 1994)”. Nurses are taught to be nonjudgmental and everyone deserves respect regardless of their past history. “Socialization for professional nursing requires the development of critical values, including a strong commitment to the service that nursing provides to the public, a belief in the dignity and worth of each person, a commitment to education and autonomy” (Chitty & Black, 2010)”.

Autonomy is “the quality or state of being independent, free, and self-directing: individual or group freedom (Murphy, 1994)”. This gives the patient the right to make their own decision regarding their health, to be informed of all health issues, and the right to refuse treatment. “Autonomy refers to self-determination and the right to make one’s own decisions. Respect for a person is incorporated and means that a nurses recognize the individuals uniqueness, the right to be who the person is, and the right to choose personal goals. Nurses who follow the principle of autonomy respect a client’s right to make a decision even