Caring for one and all - Exploring ethical challenges in an ICU

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Nursing Ethics
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Contemporary healthcare recognizes the complexity of ethical challenges and limitations of traditional frameworks.
• Critical care nursing involves navigating multifaceted ethical dilemmas with numerous stakeholders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore complex ethical and moral issues faced by critical care nurses.
• To enhance critical care nurses' capacity for ethical decision-making.
• To support nurses in navigating conflicting ethical demands.

Main Methods:

• A person-centered, values-based approach was adopted.
• A case study methodology was employed.
• The discussion is intentionally open-ended to foster collegial consideration.

Main Results:

• The paper highlights the limitations of principle-based ethical frameworks.
• It emphasizes the need for a nuanced understanding of ethical complexities.
• It provides a framework for enhancing nurses' ethical decision-making skills.

Conclusions:

• A person-centered, values-based approach can strengthen critical care nurses' ethical navigation.
• Collaborative discussion is vital for addressing complex ethical issues in clinical settings.
• Further exploration of ethical decision-making in critical care is warranted.