Abstract

This postmodern philosophical inquiry developed out of a concern for the moral conflict experienced by nurses in the organizational practice environment. Of particular interest was the kind of nursing leadership that would facilitate congruence between nursing's moral intent and nursing practice. Caring, as the moral intent of nursing, was affirmed as central to both the philosophical and leadership purposes of nursing. ;The study was framed by three questions: What are the conflicting assumptions related to nursing's moral intent and philosophical perspective? How does relational philosophy sustain a generative tension in the presence of diverse nursing perspectives? How might nursing leaders embody relational philosophy specifically in the practice environment? ;The method of deconstruction/reconstruction was applied to dichotomies among nursing's moral intent, philosophy, theory/science, and practice. That process consisted of five steps: identify dichotomous assumptions, expose those assumptions as historical constructs, examine for consistency with nursing's moral intent, reveal how dichotomies function to oppress, and reconstruct new concepts that do not oppress and open possibilities for newly created meanings. ;The study was situated in the context of nursing debate over the pluralism of philosophical perspectives and controversies related to the ethic of care. Relational philosophy was explored as a philosophical perspective congruent with the moral intent of nursing. Nursing leadership history as a contextual grounding for cultural assumptions about leadership was elaborated. Relational leadership was presented as an alternative possibility, reflective of relational philosophy that is based on caring in contrast to dominance. Leading was defined as the interpersonal process whereby each nurse, regardless of organizational position or power, practices with moral integrity in the context of a caring community of meaning created with other nurses. ;Five dimensions of relational nursing leadership included: questioning, reflection, authorship, dialogue, and community. It was proposed that relational leadership, where nurses hold themselves and each other accountable for seeking moral integrity in morally conflicted practice environments, could strengthen the discipline of nursing's efforts to enact an ethic of care. Case exemplars from nursing practice, education, research, and administration were included to illustrate relational leadership