title: Managed care and the nurse's ethical obligations to patients.
abstract: The goal of managed care is to control health care costs by such means as keeping people healthy and decreasing the length of hospital stays. This change in health care delivery has resulted in work redesign programs, lay-offs, cross-training, and the use of an increasing number of nonprofessional care providers. The challenge for nursing, as a result of these changes, is how to fulfill its obligations of fidelity and due care. The authors discuss these ethical responsibilities and the impact that managed care is having on the fiduciary relationship between nurse and patient. Four strategies that nurses can use to fulfill their obligations include engaging in personal reflection, communicating and collaborating, protecting patient's rights, and evaluating patient outcomes.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Erlen
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Mellors
mesh_terms: D026686:Beneficence; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D028681:Moral Obligations; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D028701:Patient Rights; D035502:Trust