Post-structuralist ethics and nursing codes of ethics: opportunities and threats

Nursing theories have their roots in philosophical schools، and acceptance of a school of philosophy can direct the theoretical and clinical activities of a nurse. The present paper used a qualitative and explanatory-applied method. After a review of the general features of post-structuralism and post-structuralist ethics، the challenges and opportunities of post-structuralism in nursing and nursing codes of ethics were discussed. Ethics is one of the areas of nursing that have been affected by the arrival of post-structuralism. Ethics in post-structuralism is nomadic، based on discourse، democratic، relative، rhizomatic and anti-authoritarian. Despite the positive outcomes of post-structuralism in nursing، some features of this philosophical school presents challenges to nursing ethics. Some of these challenges that are in contrast with nursing codes of ethics are the relativism in ethics، anti-authoritarianism، rejection of hierarchy، representation and paternalism.