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Ethical Issues

Ethical Issues

Nurses are essential in patient care, upholding the ethical principles of their profession and effectively navigating ethical dilemmas. Neglecting ethical issues can lead to inadequate patient care, compromised therapeutic relationships, and moral distress among healthcare workers.
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:

Ethical Dilemmas I

Ethical Dilemmas I

Ethical dilemmas in nursing are of utmost importance, as they often arise from the tension between adhering to core ethical principles and the practical realities of healthcare delivery. These dilemmas require nurses to navigate complex situations where competing ethical considerations pull them in different directions.
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...

Ethical Dilemmas II

Ethical Dilemmas II

Resolving an ethical dilemma in healthcare involves a systematic approach that considers every aspect of the issue, respecting both the patient's needs and values and the healthcare professional's ethical obligations. Here are potential steps to resolve an ethical dilemma:

Nursing Ethical Principles II

Nursing Ethical Principles II

Ethical principles are essential in guiding nurses to fulfill their responsibilities, focusing on the quality of nursing care and decision-making. These principles, including autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and fidelity, shape the ethical framework within healthcare settings.
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's cancer...

Standards of Care II

Standards of Care II

Nurses bear specific legal responsibilities under several federal statutes, including:

Continuing Care

Continuing Care

Continuing care describes the variety of health, personal, and social services provided over a prolonged period. The need for continuing care is increasing because people are living longer. Many people do not have families or others to care for them. Continuing care is mainly for patients who are disabled, functionally dependent, or suffering from a terminal disease. It is available within institutional settings or in homes. Examples include nursing centers or facilities, assisted living,...

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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

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Published on: July 4, 2018

"It's intense, you know." Nurses' experiences in caring for patients requesting euthanasia.

Yvonne Denier¹, Bernadette Dierckx de Casterlé, Nele De Bal

¹Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, Catholic University of Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35 Blok D-Bus 7001, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. Yvonne.Denier@med.kuleuven.be

Medicine, Health Care, and Philosophy

|April 22, 2009

Summary

Belgian nurses find caring for patients requesting euthanasia an intense, complex process. They experience emotional and practical challenges, balancing dignity with the unnaturalness of arranged death.

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Published on: August 30, 2020

Area of Science:

Medical Ethics
Nursing Studies
Sociology of Health

Background:

Belgium decriminalized euthanasia in 2002, leading to increased nurse involvement.
Nurses play a crucial role in providing care for patients seeking euthanasia.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore nurses' experiences with euthanasia care in Belgium.
To understand the complexities and emotional impact of euthanasia care on nurses.

Main Methods:

Qualitative study utilizing in-depth interviews.
18 nurses from Flanders with euthanasia care experience were interviewed.

Main Results:

Euthanasia care is a complex, multi-stage process from request to aftercare.
Nurses describe the experience as intense, grave, and difficult, both organizationally and emotionally.
Nurses report conflicting feelings: satisfaction in aiding a serene death versus ambivalence about arranging death.

Conclusions:

Nurses experience significant emotional and practical challenges in euthanasia care.
A discrepancy exists between the dignity of a "good death" and its "unnatural" aspect.
The findings highlight critical clinical and ethical implications for nursing practice in end-of-life care.