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Vocation in Theology-Based Nursing Theories

Department of Religious Studies, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden, mikael.lundmark@religion. umu.se

By using the concepts of intrinsicality/extrinsicality as analytic tools, the theology-based nursing theories of Ann Bradshaw and Katie Eriksson are analyzed regarding their explicit and/or implicit understanding of vocation as a motivational factor for nursing. The results show that both theories view intrinsic values as guarantees against reducing nursing practice to mechanistic applications of techniques and as being a way of reinforcing a high ethical standard. The theories explicitly (Bradshaw) or implicitly (Eriksson) advocate a vocational understanding of nursing as being essential for nursing theories. Eriksson's theory has a potential for conceptualizing an understanding of extrinsic and intrinsic motivational factors for nursing but one weakness in the theory could be the risk of slipping over to moral judgments where intrinsic factors are valued as being superior to extrinsic. Bradshaw's theory is more complex and explicit in understanding the concept of vocation and is theologically more plausible, although also more confessional.

Key Words: calling • motivation to nurse • nursing • nursing theory • theology • vocation

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Nursing Ethics, Vol. 14, No. 6, 767-780 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0969733007082117


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