Ethics in nursing

Abstract

Nurses all over the world have been giving an invaluable service to mankind throughout the ages. During their work nurses are continuously faced with ethical dilemmas which have increased during the past few years because of the fast advances in medical science, the increase in awareness of human rights, the changes of attitudes in society and the activities of the media. All this together with other interventions has changed the patient's destiny. Heart beats are restored, organs transplanted and patients are left for a long time on life supporting machines. The nurses, as part of the health care team, are part of these interventions which are creating difficult ethical dilemmas. There are people who are not aware of this situation and would ask "but why ethics in nursing?" These people believe that nurses are passive care givers since it is the doctor who decides which patient should get what and when he should get it; it is the doctor who decides to stop treatment or to switch off the ventilator. But on the contrary, situations where decisions have to be taken are just as difficult to the nurses as they are to the doctor. The nurses care for the patient day and night; they get to know the patient and his relatives. Nurses can understand the patient more than the doctor who only comes in contact with the patient for a very short time. A relationship is build between the nurse, the patient and his family which is further enhanced by good communication.