Global Nurse Involvement in ethical decision-making during pandemics: a concept analysis

Abstract

Background:

During pandemics, there are considerable ethical dilemmas. It is imperative that nurses are involved in ethical decision-making bringing nursing theory, practice and perspectives to better advocate for patients. In order to prepare nurses to be partners in ethical dilemma decision-making during pandemics, it is vital to understand the extent that nurses are involved in such decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aim:

The purpose of this concept analysis is to identify nurse involvement in ethical decision-making during pandemics.

Method:

Concept analysis methodology based on literature searches used bibliographic databases: PubMed – 20 papers; Google Scholar – 8120 papers; EMBASE – 25 papers; Science Direct – 246 papers and hand searches.

Results:

Nurse involvement in ethical decision-making during pandemics focused on nurses’ physical and emotional stress, communication challenges, saturation and collapse of limited resources and allocation of scarce resources. Additional dilemmas included, changing nature of nurses’ relationships with patients and families, questionable ethical equipoise preforming COVID-19 research, triage patient decisions receiving scarce resources, partner participation during labour and delivery and end-of-life decisions.

Conclusion:

In order to protect and sustain nurses’ well-being and competency, nurses should establish a framework for nurses’ involvement in ethical policy development in emergencies, pandemics, education and preparedness and decision-making to be able to deal with public health emergencies.