Croatian physicians' and nurses' experience with ethical issues in clinical practice.

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Clinical Practice
• Healthcare Professionals

Background:

• Ethical dilemmas are common in clinical settings, impacting patient care and healthcare provider well-being.
• Understanding the prevalence and nature of these dilemmas is crucial for developing effective support systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the ethical issues encountered by physicians and nurses in everyday clinical practice.
• To evaluate the use of and confidence in ethics support services among healthcare professionals.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted among physicians and nurses at the University Hospital Rijeka, Croatia.
• An anonymous questionnaire explored the frequency, difficulty, and support related to ethical dilemmas.

Main Results:

• Frequent dilemmas involved impaired decision-making capacity, end-of-life treatment limitations, and family disagreements.
• Euthanasia and end-of-life care were perceived as the most difficult ethical issues.
• A minority of participants utilized ethics support services or felt confident in their ethics knowledge.

Conclusions:

• Physicians and nurses experience similar ethical challenges, but differ in their use of support services.
• There is a clear need for systematic ethics education and the integration of ethics consultants into healthcare support services.