[Truth in dealing with sick people]

One of the most difficult problems for many nurses and physicians is the question of truthful information, especially for seriously ill and dying people. Talking about the problem of truth from an ethical point of view there are three essential aspects to consider: First the concept of truth from an anthropological point of view has to be defined and compared to the truth in the natural sciences, second, how the concept of "Truth at the sick bed" and its effect on nurses are treated in the medical literature, third, the psychological conditions we have to consider in relating to seriously ill and dying people. It is the declared aim of this paper to describe and summarize these three theoretical aspects, which in everyday work are inseparably connected, and to show some possible solutions.