Medical gaslighting refers to the mistreatment that patients experience following interactions with clinicians when their medical complaints and suffering are discounted, doubted, questioned, second-guessed, or denied, resulting in self-doubts of patients and psychological ramifications. This research focuses on the ethical aspects of medical gaslighting among hospitalized patients by nurses.
Research Question
What are the nursing care and nursing ethics perspectives concerning medical gaslighting?
Research Design
A narrative review.
Research Method
Interpretation of two narrative interviews with each participant through the lenses of nursing ethics.
Participants
14 hospitalized patients, males and females, ages 30–81, from the majority group in the population.
Context
Lengthy hospitalizations.
Ethical considerations
Ethical approval was granted; all participants signed an informed consent form for participation and publication.
Findings
Patient experiences demonstrate medical gaslighting by nurses, violating relational autonomy and resulting in delayed care.
Discussion
Medical gaslighting contradicts ethics of care, the professional values of nursing, and patient-centered care constituting obstacles to respectful patient–nurse relationships and to relational autonomy.
Conclusions
Medical gaslighting is a profoundly concerning ethical phenomenon that adversely affects patient well-being and trust in nursing as a significant profession in a just society.
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