Duygu YILDIRIM, Simay SIRMA, Derya UZELLİ, Esra AKIN
Journal of Education and Research in Nursing - 2026;23(1):61-66
Background: Ethical knowledge and values play a critical role in nursing practice, guiding professional behavior and decision-making in patient care. Aim: This study aimed to explore nursing students' metaphorical perceptions of ethics and ethical values. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted with 100 third-year nursing students at a university in Türkiye between March and June 2025. Results: Students produced 74 distinct metaphors for ethics and 80 for ethical values. The ethics-related metaphors were grouped into eight categories: guiding, balancing right and wrong, basic necessity, rule-setting, universal, organizing, ensuring transparency, and difficult to attain. Ethical values metaphors were classified into nine categories: sociality, individuality, guidance, importance, meaning-giving, limiting, fundamental, reciprocity, and time-related. Conclusion: The findings revealed that students held largely positive perceptions of ethics and ethical values, often linking them to personal beliefs.
