Ethical dilemma and moral distress: proposed new NANDA diagnoses.
OBJECTIVE
To propose two NANDA diagnoses--ethical dilemma and moral distress--and to distinguish between the NANDA diagnosis decisional conflict and the proposed nursing diagnosis of ethical dilemma.


METHODS
Journal articles, books, and focus group research findings.


RESULTS
Moral/ethical situations exist in health care. Nurses' experiences of ethical dilemmas and moral distress are extrapolated to the types and categories of ethical dilemmas and moral distress that patients experience and are used as the basis for development of two new nursing diagnoses.


CONCLUSIONS
The two proposed NANDA diagnoses fill a void in current standardized terminology.


CONCLUSIONS
It is important that nurses have the ability to diagnose ethical or moral situations in health care. Currently, NANDA does not offer a means to document this important phenomenon. The creation of two sets of nursing diagnoses, ethical dilemma and moral distress, will enable nurses to recognize and track nursing care related to ethical or moral situations.
Kopala
Beverly
B
Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago, USA. bkopala@luc.edu
Burkhart
Lisa
L
D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics; D034462:Dissent and Disputes; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D028681:Moral Obligations; D009733:Nursing Diagnosis / Q000941:ethics*; D028743:Professional Misconduct / Q000941:ethics; D009626:Terminology as Topic