Winding roads and faded signs: ethical decision making in a postmodern world

We are living in an era, sometimes referred to as "postmodern," exemplified by complex change related to vast increases in information and technology and exposure to diverse people and ideas. Society as a whole is experiencing dissonance in solving ethical dilemmas, and nurses' ethical dilemmas are never far removed from the social context in which nurses practice. This article explores aspects of postmodernism that complicate ethical decision making. It is hoped that this discussion may aid nurses in understanding how world values, especially those of postmodernism, complicate ethical decision making in health care. Suggestions melding aspects of the postmodern with traditional approaches to ethical decision making are presented.