Nursing ethics for prevention and control of major infectious disease outbreaks:Chinese expert consensus

Background Major infectious disease has become a serious threat to people’s health worldwide.As the world’s largest healthcare workforce and the core forces fighting against the epidemic,nurses are on the frontline of this battle.A number of ethical issues have given rise to numerous concerns that have largely affected nurses in different ways as they respond to the epidemic.In addition,excessive expectations from people can exert undue pressure,which can easily lead to burnout in nurses.Methods In this consensus,the expert panel method was used to develop and reach a consensus.The members involved in the formation of the consensus included an expert discussion panel and a consensus writing expert group,a methodologist,and four secretaries.After 16 rounds of online expert consultation and two rounds of expert panel meetings,the writing team analyzed and reviewed the 78 amendments suggested by the experts to develop a consensus on nursing ethics for prevention and control of major infectious disease outbreaks based on the ethical vision of life care.Results This expert consensus focuses on five essential domains:the responsibilities and rights of nurses,the nurse-patient relationship,the doctor-nurse relationship,and the relationship between society and nurses throughout the epidemic.Conclusions We hope this consensus can help nurses better understand and respond to the ethical issues and challenges in public health emergencies,and raise reasonable public expectations of the roles and responsibilities of nurses in these situations.

Promoting Ethical Sensitivity in Nursing Education:A Systematic Review of Case Study-Based Health Education

Introduction: Nursing ethical sensitivity refers to a nurse’s capacity for thoughtful consideration of ethical issues when faced with dilemmas. In the nursing domain, ethical dilemmas arise when nurses face challenges in making sound ethical decisions during clinical practice. These challenges may stem from conflicts between personal values and professional responsibilities. Methodology: Articles downloaded from Pub Med, CNKI, and Google Scholar were reviewed. Results: After rigorous screening, a meticulous analysis was conducted, encompassing 10 articles and involving a substantial cohort of 2863 participants. Existing literature revealed variations in the ethical dilemmas faced by nurses across different departments. The ethical sensitivity of nurses also varies, with higher ethical sensitivity correlating with stronger empathetic abilities. Zhen et al. classified the causes of ethical dilemmas into four main categories: (1) Ethical dilemmas arising from personal reasons of nursing students;(2) Ethical dilemmas stemming from the actions of teachers;(3) Ethical dilemmas triggered by patients;(4) Ethical dilemmas resulting from miscellaneous reasons. Conclusion: According to literature findings, nursing ethical sensitivity was positively linked to the nurse’s ethical decision-making ability. A case study-oriented teaching program has proven effective in enhancing ethical sensitivity among nursing students.

Nurses’experiences of the ethical values of home care nursing:A qualitative study

Objective Considering the importance of out-of-hospital services,the emergence of home care nursing,and the need for an ethical framework in nursing practice,the present study aimed to explore the nurses’experience of ethical values of home care nursing.Methods The data of the study was collected using face-to-face individual interviews.Through purposive sampling,20 nurses who worked in the home care centers in four cities of Iran in 2020 were interviewed.They shared their experiences of the ethical values of home care nursing.Then,the interviews were analyzed based on the content analysis approach and using Graneheim and Lundman method.Results In the present study,416 codes were extracted.Merging these codes based on the similarity,seven main themes,and 16 sub-themes were extracted.The themes included perception of the professional identity,respect for the client’s autonomy,respecting privacy,establishing human interaction,maintaining mutual safety,observance of justice,and cultural-religious competence.The sub-themes included responsibility,development of professional and inter-professional interactions,maintaining the professional status at home,providing the holistic artistic care,patient’s privacy,nurse’s privacy,and maintaining the confidentiality of information,respect for the client’s choice,honestly informing,empathetic interaction,adjusting the power positions,client's safety,nurse’s safety,establishing justice,respect for the religious beliefs at home and cultural sensitivity.Conclusion The participants stated that due to entering the patient’s privacy in the home care cases,the ethical values such as perception of the professional identity,privacy,family interactions’management,mutual security,and cultural-religious competence became doubly important compared to the hospital caring.

A study of the relationship between professional values and ethical climate and nurses'professional quality of life in Iran

Objective:To explore the relationship between nursing professional values and ethical climate and nurses'professional quality of life.Methods:The present study is a descriptive,cross-sectional work in which 400 nurses from various wards of hospitals in the south-east of Iran were studied.Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of four sections:demographics,Nurses'Professional Values Scale-Revised(NPVS-R),the Hospital Ethical Climate Survey(HECS),and the Professional Quality of Life Scale(ProQOL).Results:The total mean scores for professional values were 105.29±15.60.The total mean score for the ethical climate was 100.09±17.11.The mean scores for the indexes of compassion satisfaction,burnout,and secondary traumatic stress were 45.29±8.93,34.38±6.84,and 32.15±7.02 respectively.The relationships between professional values and the indexes of compassion satisfaction(r=0.56),burnout(r=0.26),and secondary traumatic stress(r=0.18)were found to be positive and significant(P<0.001).Also,the relationships between ethical climate and the items of compassion satisfaction(r=0.60,P<0.001),burnout(r=0.15,P=0.002)were found to be positive and significant.Conclusion:An understanding of nurses'perception of professional values and improving the ethical climate at work can help nursing administrators identify more effective strategies toward increasing compassion satisfaction and lessening bumout and work-related stress.

Studying the Reinforcement Effect of a Seminar on Ethical Practices among Pediatric Nurses

Aim: This study aimed to examine the effect of a seminar to continuously reinforce ethical nursing practices among pediatric nurses. Methods: This seminar was based on a 24-point pediatric nursing care model (PNCM) that provided specific examples of basic ethical nursing practices for children undergoing medical procedures and their families. Participants’ knowledge level and application frequencies, regarding these practices, were assessed face-to-face in the first session and via email 2 and 5 months later, using the PNCM checklist and qualitative data about ethical practices. Results: Results revealed that 8 PNCM items about frequency remained the same as the first session after 5 months;however, 16 items reported increased application. The qualitative data collected 2 months later suggested that the nurses could have adapted better to implement ethical pediatric nursing;however, the one collected 5 months later confirmed the effect of the seminar on ethical nursing practices with children and their families. The continuous effect of the seminar became more evident from the responses received 5 months later than those received 2 months later. Conclusions: The findings confirmed a reinforced effect on ethical pediatric nursing practice with child patients and their parents after 5 months.