Reclaiming Humanity: Nurse Self-Care as Moral Agency and Self-Transcendence Under Capitalism.
Nursing inquiry April 1, 2026 Hwisu Kim, Gyeonghui Jeong
Under capitalist healthcare, nursing labor is subordinated to efficiency and profit, risking nurses' reduction to functional instruments and eroding the ethical essence of care. Nurses experience objectification by others, of themselves, and toward others, leading to moral fatigue and loss of subjectivity. This paper critically examines capitalism's impact on nursing and reconceptualizes self-care as moral agency and self-transcendence. Drawing on Marxian labor theory, Maslow's extended hierarchy, Orem's self-care deficit theory, and Watson's caring science, self-care is conceptualized as a process whereby nurses reclaim autonomy, restore relational integrity, and ultimately achieve moral agency and transcendence. Self-care transforms from an individual coping mechanism into a collective ethical practice challenging capitalism's dehumanizing logic and rehumanizing nursing.