Ethical challenge in community health nursing

Community health nurses frequently face situations involving ethical conflicts, but little research has been carried out in this area. This paper, based on a study of dilemmas defined by 30 practising community health nurses in urban and rural British Columbia, Canada, presents an analysis of the situations that contain the most serious ethical conflicts for nurses working in the community. Although issues related to client's rights, nurses' interactions with colleagues and the system, and nurses' rights were explored, nurses in the study reported that situations involving high-risk parenting provided the most serious ethical challenges. Strategies to help nurses caring for such vulnerable clients are described. As well, this paper offers some discussion on implications for community health nursing practice and education in light of current changes and challenges.