Values clarification and ethical decision making

Ethical decision making at the bedside has become an integral part of nursing care delivery. Health care providers have long been practicing clinical ethics as evidenced by their codes of practice. Still, bedside ethical decision making has really just become more formalized in the 1980s through the establishment of hospital ethics committees. The decisions of the 1980s and 1990s have become more difficult as well mostly because of advanced medical technology, the increased number of people now involved in the decision-making process, and most importantly, the recognition of patient autonomy in the decision-making process.