Final answer:
Virtue-based ethics is the theory that suggests healthcare professionals are guided by their desire to do good, stemming from their character and virtues such as compassion and benevolence.
Correct option is a. Virtue-based ethics
Step-by-step explanation:
The ethical theory that focuses on the idea that healthcare professionals select their profession because they possess a desire to do good is virtue-based ethics. Virtue ethics takes a character-centered approach to morality and suggests that right action flows from good character traits or dispositions. It emphasizes the cultivation of virtues such as compassion, empathy, and benevolence, which are particularly relevant to the medical field where the well-being of others is a primary concern.
Virtue-based ethics differs from other ethical frameworks like deontology, which focuses on adherence to moral rules, or utilitarianism, which values the greatest good for the greatest number. Virtue ethics is about shaping one's character to naturally embody the virtues that foster ethical actions and decisions, which for healthcare professionals often translate into a compassionate approach to patient care.