Achieving collaboration in ethical decision making: strategies for nurses in clinical practice

Ethical decision making is a process that combines justice and caring in moral reflection to select sound choices. Nurses and physicians often have different perspectives on how to resolve ethical dilemmas. Satisfactory resolution depends on overcoming conflict and achieving collaboration between members of the health care team. Conflict can occur on a number of different levels. For example, it can be between nurses, nurses and physicians or the entire health care team and the patient. This article helps prepare critical care nurses to handle ethical dilemmas in crisis situations by providing them with specific strategies that help promote collaboration in resolving ethical dilemmas.