Professional ethics and ethical challenges related to nurses and patients: A narrative review

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate professional ethics and ethical challenges related to nurses and patients. The study establishes a strong link between nursing, spirituality, and ethical performance, with nurses' religious beliefs significantly influencing their approach to patient care. Ethical decision-making is vital in nursing, with patients' rights and information disclosure being top priorities. The shortage of nursing staff and its impact on ethical practices are acknowledged. Rewarding ethical conduct and providing ethical education are recommended to promote ethical behavior among nurses. Ethical distress arises when organizational factors hinder ethical actions, affecting nurses' job satisfaction and patient care quality. Younger and married nurses may experience higher ethical distress, while experience may mitigate it. Overall, nurturing ethical behavior is crucial for better patient outcomes. Nurses often face ethical issues in their clinical practice. Ethical decision-making is now integral to professional nursing, requiring nurses to recognize ethical dilemmas and demonstrate ethical sensitivity in all patient interactions and during interventions, ensuring high-quality patient care and upholding the nursing profession's integrity.