Nursing Ethics in Modern China

Samantha Mei-che Pang is a nurse by professional training, and a researcher in the field of healthcare and nursing ethics by scholarly endeavor. She obtained her general nurse registration in Hong Kong in 1977 and a Certificate in Nursing Behavioral Science from The University of Hong Kong in 1985. She then received a Post-Registration Diploma in Nursing from The Hong Kong Polytechnic in 1986 and a Master’s of Science in Nursing Education from The University of Edinburgh in 1990. Her nursing practice was primarily concerned with caring for children and older adults with chronic illnesses. She received a Bachelor’s in Philosophy from Pontifical Urbanian University in 1983 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy from The University of Hong Kong in 1999. In 2002, she was named one of the first recipients of the Fulbright Hong Kong Scholar Program awards to study cross-cultural differences in making end-of-life decisions at Boston College. Pang started her career as a nurse academic in 1990, when she took up a teaching post at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University where she now serves as an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing. Over the past ten years, she has taught, lectured, and published in the areas of nursing ethics, caring practices, and ethics in end-of-life care. Her passion for China and Chinese nurses is well reflected in her continuous engagement in scholarly activities with nurses in different parts of China. The projects she has undertaken in collaboration with her counterparts on the Chinese mainland include the development of a code of ethical principles for Chinese nurses using the Delphi Technique, the cultural construction of caring in nurse learners, and a phenomenological study of the Chinese concept of nursing. With funding support from the University Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, she is now embarking on a journey in the field of ethical decision making in end-of-life care. She is also actively involved in nursing ethics endeavors internationally. As a member of the International Centre for Nursing Ethics at the University of Surrey, she has participated in the study of ethical considerations in international nursing research, and an international study on the value of nursing.

"very constructive and insightful … This study has provided a new perspective of the ethical issues for the Chinese nursing profession, the health system, and Chinese society itself." - in: Nursing History Review, Vol. 13 (2005)"This is a seminal and fascinating text. It is also a first, in providing an in-depth, systematical analysis of the perceptions of nurses in China in relation to the ethical issues they face in daily nursing practice … a treasure trove of information …erudite but eminently readable … Essential reading, not only for those with a special interest in nursing ethics but for all nurses. It will also be of interest to other health care professionals and could provide a sound basis for much-needed multidisciplinary teaching and learning about health care ethics." - in: Nursing Ethics 11(1) (2004)

• List of Figures and TablesForeword by Gerhold K. BeckerAcknowledgmentsONE Introduction: In Search of the Voices of Nurses in ChinaTWO Nursing Development Before China’s ModernizationTHREE Nursing in the Era of China’s ModernizationFOUR The Ethical Mandate in QuestionFIVE Multiple Role ResponsibilitiesSIX Dealing with Difficult Care SituationsSEVEN From Virtue to Value: A Dialogue to be ContinuedNotes BibliographyAppendicesAbout the AuthorIndex