The concern for ethical principles and values is not limited to health professionals alone.
However, ethical principles in nursing act as safety valves for social control to prevent
professional misconduct and abuse of the rights of clients. As a result of colonial experience,
developing countries like Botswana usually follow the European lead, especially
examples from the UK. This article examines the ethical problems and dilemmas associated
with rural nursing practice in Botswana, a developing country in sub-Saharan Africa.
The major ethical problems identified are related to the distribution of and access to health
resources in rural communities. It is proposed that nurses must assume responsibility in
the field of access and allocation by working collaboratively with governments and other
professional bodies, and that nurses as a global community must work together as a team
to support each other.