Analysis of ethical issues: Criminal acts in nursing practice

Abstract

Objective: To identify criminal acts in nursing practice and the existence of factors related to professional behavior in ethical issues involving crime, based on the analysis of testimonies contained in ethical lawsuits judged by the Regional Nursing Council of São Paulo (Coren/SP). Methods: Exploratory descriptive study with a quantitative and qualitative approach, analyzing ethical lawsuits containing ethical illicit acts considered criminal acts. Data were collected in the ethical-professional nursing lawsuits judged by Coren/SP in 2012 and 2013. Results: The criminal acts evidenced in the analysis were: Abandonment of disabled person; embezzlement; sexual abuse; swindling; criminal impersonation; illegal practice of medicine; identity fraud; loss, fraud or destruction of a book or document; forgery of document; counterfeiting, contamination, adulteration or alteration of product intended for therapeutic or medicinal purposes; theft; bodily injury; maltreatment; peculation; drug traffi cking; use of false document and abuse of corpse. The testimonies gave rise to seven thematic categories: Repentance for the past; Perception of the illegal act; Factors related to working conditions; Psychological and/or social factors; Financial factors; Non-admission of liability; with responsibility and Duality between perception and fact. Conclusion: The results of the study were extremely important to identify the occurrences involving criminal acts and demonstrate the need to broaden the discussion on ethical issues in daily nursing practice. In this perspective, the study demonstrates the need to invest in better working conditions and quality training for nursing professionals in their daily lives, valuing them and encouraging them to have an ethical and humane practice towards the other and themselves.