Deconstructing nursing vocation: Ethical and cultural perspectives

Ana Mesa La Guardia, Maria Teresa Prats Valls, Mónica Micó Cabedo, Department of Alcoi Health Department, Nurse Principal Investigator of the GEQUO Research Group, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana, Generalitat Valenciana, Universitat Jaume I. Castello, Health Department of Xátiva-Ontinyent, Nurse Researcher of the GEQUO Research Group, Generalitat Valenciana, Fundación para El Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana

Nursing Ethics: An International Journal for Health Care Professionals

Published online on February 27, 2026

Abstract

Nursing Ethics, Volume 33, Issue 4, Page 1050-1061, June 2026.
Background“Vocation” continues to shape how nursing is talked about and valued, yet the term is theoretically underexamined and ethically ambiguous—especially where religious, cultural, and media narratives remain influential.AimTo clarify how vocational ...