Ethical Decision Making for Community Health Nurses

Abstract

Modern health-care technology has complicated the ethical considerations of not only diagnosis and treatment, but also the social implications of diseases. Nurses are facing daily challenges as they struggle to protect and support confidentiality, justice, and beneficence for their clients. Community health nurses (CHNs), in light of their manner of primary care delivery, are often involved in these challenges. CHNs, due to their manner of primary care delivery, may find themselves in situations very different from those of other health-care workers. Often these situations have a moral component that cannot be addressed by the traditional problem-solving methods. Knowledge of ethical theories that offer frameworks for problem solving is essential as these CHNs struggle with ethical dilemmas.