Heart transplantation from an ethical perspective

Ethical issues in health care have increased during the past two decades, primarily in response to rapidly evolving advanced technologies. This increase in ethical dilemmas has been most felt by nurses because they are the primary health care providers to whom patients and family members turn for support, counseling, and empathy. Heart transplantation is an area of health care that evokes numerous ethical issues. Ethical beliefs must be examined from the aspects of everyone involved: the patient, family members, and health care providers. Some aspects of the transplantation process also warrant special consideration such as transplantation, lack of a viable support system for patients, and cultural issues. Future projections include a growth in the number and types of ethical dilemmas as technology continues to evolve, populations become more diverse and older, and the health care delivery systems continue to employ a more diverse group of health care providers. This article has attempted to give nurses some insight and guidance about the ethical issues currently being encountered. The article has also included the need for future education of nurses and society.