title: Ethical policy guidelines development for general hospital nurses.
abstract: The purpose of this position paper is to examine ethical situations involving nurses, and provide suggestions about how to work through ethical problems they may encounter. Ethics in the nursing profession is ubiquitous. Nurses need to be aware of the provided codes so any ambiguity regarding ethical dilemmas can be resolved. Ethical situations which call for such judgements include: equity, confidentiality, honesty and justice. Resolution of such situations requires consistent education to ensure full awareness of societal values which are projected through the care of clients. This will aid in the provision of quality care and ensure that a holistic approach is achieved to maintain high standards of care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Human Sciences Edith Cowan University, Bunbury, Western Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Commons
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baldwin
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003219:Confidentiality; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000592:standards*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012945:Social Values