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Truth-telling versus hope: a dilemma in practice
1School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University of Belfast, Northern Ireland. A.Begley@Queens-Belfast.AC.UK
International Journal of Nursing Practice
|June 6, 2000
Summary
Withholding truth may be morally acceptable to preserve hope's therapeutic benefits. This approach balances patient well-being against the principle of truth-telling in clinical ethics.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Psychology of Hope
- Clinical Communication
Background:
- Hope is a crucial therapeutic element in patient care.
- Truth-telling is a fundamental ethical principle in healthcare.
- Conflicting ethical principles can arise in clinical practice.
Observation:
- A clinical vignette illustrates a practitioner facing a dilemma between truth-telling and preserving hope.
- The potential for truth to undermine therapeutic hope is examined.
- The consequences of both revealing and withholding truth are analyzed.
Findings:
- Withholding truth can be morally justifiable if truth-telling destroys therapeutic hope.
- The ethical permissibility of withholding truth depends on specific circumstances.
- The paper explores the moral reasoning of healthcare professionals in such situations.
Implications:
- Provides a framework for discussing complex ethical dilemmas in healthcare education.
- Encourages critical evaluation of the balance between honesty and patient psychological well-being.
- Informs ethical decision-making regarding truth-telling and hope in clinical settings.