title: Ethical dilemmas experienced by nurses presented in nursing publications.
abstract: This systematic literature review used nursing studies about 'ethics' published in the SCIELO database. The objective was to identify the ethical dilemmas of nursing, based on a literature review of nursing publications between 2002 and 2006. Forty publications were found, of which seventeen were selected. The analysis of the articles permitted the organization of the following categories: ethics, the health system and nursing practice; ethics and nursing teaching-learning; ethics and nursing care. We noticed that the authors attributed a multidimensional approach to ethical issues. However, we considered it necessary to pay closer attention to the ethical aspects involved in nursing practice. There is a clear need for further studies, showing new ethical dilemmas experienced by nurses, so that they can contribute to a change in attitude, with outcomes for professional practice.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Ceará, Brazil. adelanemonteiro@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Maria Adelane Alves
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Régia Christina Moura
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Maria Graziela Teixeira
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Barroso
authors.forename: Neiva Francenely Cunha
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Ana Karina Bezerra
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
mesh_terms: D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D011643:Publishing; D012189:Retrospective Studies