title: Ethical issues in oncology nursing practice: an overview of topics and strategies.
abstract: An understanding of common principles of biomedical ethics provide healthcare professions with a common language. Developing a standard approach to complex ethical cases in clinical situations allows professionals to involve significant individuals and to ensure that appropriate factors are considered. This article presents a case in oncology nursing practice, using a sample model for decision making. The case is developed to demonstrate a number of issues that arise with regard to symptom management, the nurse-patient relationship, informed consent, end-of-life decisions, and truth-telling. Ethical dilemmas arising from conflicts within principles and between individuals holding differing ethical perspectives are described. Because a true ethical dilemma goes beyond a simple "right" or "wrong" answer, arguments based on differing moral grounds are presented. Nursing responsibilities are delineated and directions are provided for furthering one's understanding of ethics.
authors.affiliation: Community Health Care Systems, University of Washington School of Nursing, Seattle.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Winters
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Glass
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sakurai
mesh_terms: D016223:Advance Directives; D001675:Bioethics; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing; D003219:Confidentiality; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009859:Oncology Nursing; D014342:Truth Disclosure