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Sympathetic responsibility in ethically difficult situations
Margaretha Danerek1, Giggi Udén, Anna-Karin Dykes
1Faculty of Medicine, Department of Nursing, Lund University, Box 157, 221-00 Lund, Sweden. margaretha.danerek@omv.lu.se
Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica
|November 25, 2005
Summary
Obstetricians experience sympathetic responsibility when making critical decisions for mothers and infants. This involves balancing medical knowledge with parental needs and reflecting on their moral duties.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Medical Ethics
- Qualitative Research
Background:
- Ethical dilemmas are frequent in obstetrics, requiring continuous attention from practitioners.
- This study explores the lived experience of obstetricians facing ethically challenging situations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the meaning of ethically difficult situations for obstetricians.
- To understand the core themes of ethical decision-making in obstetrics.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative descriptive design utilizing a hermeneutic phenomenological approach.
- Interviews conducted with 14 obstetricians in a Swedish hospital setting.
Main Results:
- The central theme identified was 'Sympathetic responsibility' in critical maternal-infant care decisions.
- Related themes included moral reasoning, balancing expertise with parental autonomy, acknowledging responsibility, decisive action, and reflective acceptance.
Conclusions:
- Sympathetic responsibility structures obstetricians' experiences, guiding them to act in the best interest of mother and infant while respecting autonomy.
- Enhanced ethical discourse and interprofessional collaboration are crucial for optimal maternal-fetal outcomes.