ABSTRACT
Acute care can involve highly specialised and complicated care planning, including ethical decision-making on a daily basis. Conflicts can arise from situations involving withholding/withdrawing treatment; deciding when the burdens of further therapeutic measures outweigh the benefits; allocation of limited resources. Arguably, technological advances in healthcare have developed at a rate faster than society is able to cope with ethically. Many of the acutely ill patients are unable to act completely autonomously and, therefore, rely on healthcare professionals (particularly nurses) to make decisions for them. Consequently, there is a risk of initial decisions being made, mainly in relation to patients’ ailments and not necessarily in their best interest. healthcare professionals may think they are making decisions in the best interest of patients, but sometimes this is not the case. Clinical decisions, whether by patient or nurse, may not be generally acceptable and thus can create a sense of uneasiness and possible resentment. Due to its complexity ethical decision-making is not an easy process. However, nurses must develop a clear understanding of ethical considerations in order to ensure that the care they provide is morally and legally acceptable. While some ethical issues have been discussed in Chapters 1, 2 and later in Chapter 39, this particular chapter will create an opportunity for nurses to examine their own values and beliefs in relation to nursing the acutely ill. The intention is not to provide answers (this would be considered morally wrong), but to create an awareness/wider understanding of some of the fundamental issues faced by nurses within the acute care setting.
