title: Caring for one and all - Exploring ethical challenges in an ICU.
abstract: This discussion paper explores some of the complex ethical and moral issues confronting contemporary critical care nurses. In contemporary healthcare discussions, there is an increased appreciation of the complexity of ethical challenges, the multiplicity of stakeholders and that a broad range of possible and practical outcomes exist. Furthermore, many scholars also acknowledge the limitations of principle based ethical frameworks. In seeking to build critical care nurses' capacity to negotiate the complex - and often conflicting - ethical challenges, the authors have adopted a person-centred, values-based approach in this case study. Furthermore, by exploring these complex issues, this paper supports and builds upon critical care nurses' decision making capacities in the clinical area. This case study has been purposefully left open-ended with the aim of inviting the reader to consider the questions posed in a collegial, collaborative manner within the particular context in which she/he is embedded.
authors.affiliation: Metro South Health, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: Jennifer.jones4@health.qld.gov.au.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Griffith University and Princess Alexandra Hospital, Intensive Care Unit, Australia.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.
authors.forename: Eleanor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Milligan
mesh_terms: D064648:Critical Care Nursing / Q000941:ethics*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000941:ethics*; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000941:ethics*
keywords: Ethical decision making; Ethics; Person-centred care; Values-based care