A Literature Review of Influencing Factors of Ethical Conflicts among Nurses in Life-Saving Areas

Abstract

Objective: To conduct a literature review of ethical conflicts among nurses in Japan and abroad, and to identify factors that influence ethical conflicts among nurses in the field of lifesaving care.
Methods: The databases used were PubMed, an international literature search site, and the web of the Central Journal of Medical Science, a domestic literature site. Key words were Emergency, Nurse, Ethical Dilemma, Conflict, ICU, Critical, Nurse, and Ethical Conflict. The 29 included references were categorized into author, year of
publication, nationality, purpose of study, study design, and main summary.
Results: The influencing factors of ethical conflicts among emergency nurses were categorized as “ambiguity of the role of the nurse,” “lack of harmony among healthcare providers and patients‘ families,” “burden of responsibility to protect patients’ dignity,” and “burden of the work environment. Ethical conflicts in the lifesaving field were caused by the current situation in which medical and nursing tasks that should be performed to protect the interests and dignity of patients and their families are not connected to nursing practice due to various influencing factors. The study revealed that nurses feel moral and emotional pain in response to this reality.
Discussion: In order to protect the rights and dignity of patients, education for ethical problem solving and continuing education for nurses to gain autonomy are necessary. In addition, the study suggested the need for the development of human relations among medical personnel supporting the lifesaving field and the improvement of the work environment.