Ethical events in nursing: Daily activities of nurse managers and Nursing Ethics Committee Members

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the meaning of nurses' actions related to ethical occurrences involving nursing professionals. Data were collected through interviews with nurse managers and members of a Nursing Ethics Committee who experienced the phenomenon. Data were analyzed in the framework of social phenomenology. The nurses' experiences gave rise to the following categories of meaning, as these professionals seek: the humanization of nursing care; continuous improvement of the care process; professional credibility; patients' satisfaction; demystification of the fear of punishment; partnership in the educational process; respect for ethical secrecy and expectation related to the event being forwarded to the Nursing Ethics Committee. The social typification was described at the end. Nurses' actions in cases of ethical events attract the interest of nursing professionals, who want to ensure a risk or damage-free care and to promote the valuation of these professionals.