Professional ethical challenges and suggested strategies in nursing: a qualitative study

Arezoo  Ghavi; Leila  Valizadeh; Kelly  Powers; Vahid  Zamanzadeh

doi:10.18502/jmehm.v17i10.17109

Arezoo Ghavi Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing, Ferdows Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ferdows, Iran.
Leila Valizadeh Professor, Department of Pediatric Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Kelly Powers Associate Professor, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, United States
Vahid Zamanzadeh Professor, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jmehm.v17i10.17109

Keywords: Professional ethics; Nursing care, Qualitative research

Abstract

Professional ethics are essential for supporting nurses in making ethical decisions and responding to current challenges. This study aimed to explore professional ethical challenges and the strategies nurses use to address them in Iran. An exploratory descriptive qualitative approach was employed, with data collected through two focus groups involving 16 nurses and semi-structured individual interviews with six nursing faculty members. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s method. Participants shared their experiences and perceptions of professional ethical challenges and proposed strategies to address them. Nine categories and 51 subcategories were identified, including:
1) Deficiencies in patient-centered care; 2) Communicating bad news to patients and families; 3) Decisions on withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatments; 4) Lack of cultural consideration in nursing care; 5) Challenges of incorporating new technology; 6) Ethical concerns in managing and using large patient datasets; 7) Upholding ethical principles in disaster or crisis nursing; 8) Gaps in providing palliative care; and 9) Fear of causing moral distress. The findings underscore the ethical challenges faced by nurses in clinical practice and suggest strategies for addressing each challenge in Iran.