Ethical conflicts experienced by community nurses: A qualitative study

Despite news reports of morally distressing situations resulting from complex and demanding community-care delivery in Canada, there has been little research on the topic of ethical conflicts experienced by community-based health care professionals.

To identify ethical conflicts experienced by community nurses.

Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and then relevant text was extracted and condensed using qualitative content analysis. This research was part of a larger grounded theory project examining how community nurses manage ethical conflict.

Community nurses, including 13 public health nurses and 11 home care nurses from two Canadian provinces, were interviewed.

Study approval was granted by the Health Research Ethics Authority of Newfoundland and Labrador and by provincial health authorities.

Seven ethical conflicts were identified and assigned to one of two groups. In the grouping categorized as challenges with obligations or risks, the ethical conflicts were: (1) screening for child developmental issues knowing there is a lack of timely early intervention services; (2) encountering inequities in the health care system; (3) not fulfilling principles, goals, and initiatives of primary and secondary prevention; and (4) feeling powerless to advocate for clients. The remaining ethical conflicts were categorized as challenges with process, risks, and consequences, and were: (5) jeopardizing therapeutic relationships while reporting signs of a child at risk; (6) managing confidentiality when neighbors are clients; and (7) supporting client autonomy and decision-making but uncertain of the consequences.

Research investigation will continue to be important to raise awareness and mobilize ethics supports as health care services are steadily shifted from institutional to community settings. Moreover, with heightened potential for communicable disease outbreaks across international borders from global warming, community nurses around the world will continue to be required to address ethically-difficult care situations with competence and compassion.