Sustainability in care through an ethical practice model

Background: While sustainability is a key concept in many different domains today, it has not yet beensufficiently emphasized in the healthcare sector. Earlier research shows that ethical values and evidencebasedcare models create sustainability in care practice.Objective: The aim of this study was to gain further understanding of the ethical values central to therealization of sustainability in care and to create an ethical practice model whereby these basic values can bemade perceptible and active in care practice.Research design: Part of the ongoing “Ethical Sustainable Caring Cultures” research project, ahermeneutical application research design was employed in this study.Participants: Dialogues were used, where scientific researchers and co-researchers were given theopportunity to reflect on ethical values in relation to sustainability in care.Findings: An ethical practice model with ethos as its core was created from the results of the dialogues. Inthe model, ethos is encircled by the ethical values central to sustainability: dignity, responsibility, respect,invitation, and vows.Discussion: The model can be used as a starting point for ethical conversations that support carers’reflections on the ethical issues seen in day-to-day care work and the work community, allowing ethicalvalues to become visible throughout the entire care culture.Conclusion: It is intended as a tool whereby carers can more deeply understand an organization’scommon basic values and what they entail in regard to sustainability in care.