Ethical Implications for Acting Faithfully in the Nurse-Person Relationship

Bearing witness-not bearing witness has been posited as a fundamental rhythm of coexistence. In biomedical ethical writings, the concept of fidelity, or faithfulness, has been used to describe an obligation to act in good faith with such actions as keeping promises or vows, fulfilling agreements, maintaining relationships, and individuals' fulfilling fiduciary responsibilities. In this column, the nursing phenomenon of acting faithfully in the nurse-person relationship shall be defined and explored with practice implications through reflections as viewed from the lens of the nursing theoretical framework of the human becoming school of thought.