Moral agency in the context of global volunteering

Abstract

Today there are many global volunteer opportunities for nurses and student nurses. While the intentions of volunteers may be good, the result may be harmful to the volunteer and/or the host, creating a situation of moral distress. An ethical code provides guidance and promotes moral agency. We discuss elements of the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics with Interpretive Statements and apply them to the experience of global volunteering through a case study approach.