Philosophical Perspectives on Trustworthiness and Open-mindedness as Professional Virtues for the Practice of Nursing: Implications for he Moral Education of Nurses

trusting relationships. Hence mutual relationships both rely on and sustain trust;
whereas “Nonmutual relationships are untrustworthy ones and so impede flourishing”
(ibid p. 30). Because Potter’s idea of ‘nonmutuality’ is insufficiently developed it is
difficult to be sure what makes a relationship nonmutual beyond a general idea of non-
cooperation. However, she does claim that mutuality in relationships allows us to
challenge covert and overt power relationships which in turn assists the project of
reducing exploitation and abuse of vulnerable persons. Further, she claims that
nonmutuality in relationships provides an opportunity for distrust to thrive thereby
reducing the potential for human flourishing.

vix) That we work to sustain connection in intimate relationships while neither
privatizing nor endangering mutual flourishing

Following on from requirement viii (above), Potter notes that intimate relationships
engender a depth of trust (and trustworthiness) beyond that required for normal
everyday trust relationships. She argues that by experiencing the depth of intimate
trusting relationships we can add to the sum of human flourishing as it enables us to
become generally more trusting and trustworthy (and therefore enables a commitment to
mutuality). She suggests this is important for professional trust relationships because
our experience of ‘deep’ trust spills over into and informs both our general and
professional trust dispositions. The experience of deep trust in intimate relationships
gives us insights into the nature of trust and trustworthiness by placing us in positions of
vulnerability, it helps us to reflect on our own as well as others’ willingness to trust, and
it enables us to recognise how painful betrayals of trust can be. If we know what it is to
be vulnerable in this way we can better appreciate the vulnerability of those who must
trust in health care professionals. From this we are more likely to recognise the need to
be trustworthy towards those in the most vulnerable positions, that is, our patients and
clients.

However, while sustaining connection may be appropriate for ‘healthy’ intimate
relationships, Potter seems to fail to recognise the reality that some people experience
‘unhealthy’ intimate relationships. Working to maintain such relationships seems likely
to impede rather than enable flourishing. It must surely be more appropriate in terms of
human flourishing to abandon rather than sustain ‘unhealthy’ intimate relationships.

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