Hospital ethics committees and nurses' participation.
The hospital ethics committee's mandates of patient care review, policy formation, and education make them central to nurses and healthcare delivery. In a study examining nurses' communication exchange frequency and perceived effectiveness as members of hospital ethics committees, nurses represented the largest proportion, were moderately active, and rated their participation effectiveness the highest: they are more involved in discussions regarding patients than policy formation and education. Nurse administrators can provide strategies and education for nurses that enhance nurses' participation in all three committee functions. Policies affect patient care; therefore, policy decisions, too, benefit from nurses' participation.
McDaniel
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University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA, USA.
D003142:Communication; D017041:Ethics Committees / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006127:Group Structure; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016134:Organizational Policy; D014481:United States