Symphonology (“Symphonia”, a Greek word meaning agreement) is a system of interpersonal ethics based on the terms and preconditions of an agreement. In the health care setting this is the agreement that establishes the nature of the relationship between a patient and a health care professional. Ethical and professional responsibilities are set by this relationship. Ethical responsibilities center on the situation of a patient, a professional’s understanding of the demands of effective interaction, and the nature of the human values a professional can bring to their relationship. It is a practice-based approach and, therefore, is intended to be appropriate to the well-being of a patient, the purposes of a health care setting, and the role of a nurse or other health care professional. It is based on the shared state of awareness on which bioethical interactions between professional and patient occur.

Symphonological bioethical theory holds:

• The health care professional is the agent of a patient acting to restore the patient’s agency. Agency being the power to initiate actions.
• For a practice-based ethic, the patient is the center of a health care professional’s attention.
• The health care professional/patient agreement and fidelity to this agreement is the basis of all benevolence and cooperation in the health care setting.
• There are standards of bioethical action that are preconditions and, therefore, sub-agreements of the health care professional/patient agreement. Ethical action is action in accordance with these standards. Such actions satisfy bioethical responsibilities.

Symphonology guides the analysis of any particular dilemma by establishing a perspective from which a professional can perceive and understand a patient. This then guides the information gathering process, provides a method through which the analysis is performed, and directs the manner in which a health are professional interacts with a patient.

Much has been discussed about optimum care for a patient. While optimum care for a patient is indispensable, even central to a professional bioethics, symphonology concentrates on the welfare of the health care professional. A very high degree of personal development and emotional fulfillment to the professional is possible through bioethics. This is also central to the well-being and welfare of patients. These two aspects of the health care system “walk together.”