title: Ethical decision making in neurosurgery: a case study.
abstract: Neurosurgical patients often challenge their caregivers with moral issues that arise during their care. As the population ages, end-of-life decision making and flexible planning need to be stressed so patients can be included in their care decisions and better communicate with the healthcare team. This case study illustrates how one team of nurses used an ethical decision-making model and a caring perspective to help a patient successfully navigate a complex healthcare system as they advocated for her increased involvement in her care.
authors.affiliation: Magnet Program, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA. dkrueger@wfubmc.edu
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Krueger
mesh_terms: D032722:Advance Care Planning / Q000941:ethics*; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries; D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics*; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016294:Models, Nursing; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000941:ethics / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D010344:Patient Advocacy / Q000941:ethics / Q000523:psychology; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000941:ethics / Q000458:organization & administration; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D011340:Problem Solving; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000941:ethics / Q000523:psychology; D028761:Withholding Treatment / Q000941:ethics