The Role of Nurses in Ethical Decision-Making for End-of-Life Cancer Patients: Withholding or Withdrawing Life-Sustaining Interventions.
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Ethical decision-making is a process that helps nurses in systematically and comprehensively examining ethical dilemmas in nursing practice, guided by ethical reasoning. The nurses responsible for making decisions must be aware of the components and factors influencing the decision-making process, enabling them to choose whether to prolong life in a given situation. Nurses, as healthcare professionals closest to patients, often encounter ethical issues. Particularly, this article revealed issues related to withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining interventions in end-of-life cancer patients, introducing a new dimension that challenges the role of nurses. Therefore, nurses play a significant role in end-of-life care and must possess various skills, knowledge, and experiences to provide comprehensive care for patients. In addition, the healthcare team must prioritize the ethical decision-making process, addressing both informational and psychological aspects for patients and their families. This article helps increase confidence and competency in caring for patients with end-stage cancer, resulting in the highest possible benefits for both patients and their families.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
ลิขสิทธิ์ของบทความที่ตีพิมพ์เป็นของวารสารพยาบาลศาสตร์ จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย ทั้งฉบับตีพิมพ์เป็นรูปเล่มและเอกสารออนไลน์
References
Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance. World cancer day close the care gap [internet]. 2023 [cited 2023 April 22]. Available from: http://www.thewhpca.org/2020-08-05-08-22-47/latest-news/item/world-cancer-day.
World Health Organization. Assessing the development of palliative care worldwide: a set of actionable indicators [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2023 April 22]. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240033351.
Ministry of Public Health. Patient care handbook for health care professionals [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2023 April 22]. Available from: https://www.dms.go.th/backend/Content. [In Thai].
Introntakun K, Thanasilp S, Supametaporn P. Experiences of caring for patients with advanced cancer at home of family caregivers. Journal of Nursing Science Chulalongkorn University. 2023;35(2): 12-23. [In Thai].
Rushton, C. H., Swoboda, S. M., Reller, N., Skarupski, K. A., Prizzi, M., Young, P. D., & Hanson, G. C. Mindful ethical practice and resilience academy: equipping nurses to address ethical challenges. Am J Crit Care. 2021;30(1):e1-e11.
Chanthanamongkol K. Nursing Ethics. 2nd ed. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University; 2020. [In Thai].
Tepanimitr S, Unteja P, Kanglai K. Moral Development in Nursing Profession. Royal Thai Army Medical Journal. 2018;19(2):136-142. [In Thai].
Nasae T. Ethical dilemmas, ethical decision making, and outcomes experienced by head nurses in regional hospitals, Southern Thailand [dissertation on the Internet]. Songkla: Prince of Songkla University; 2007. 153p. Available from: http://kb.psu.ac.th/psukb/handle/ 2553/1432.
Pheungchomphu W. Handbook for practicing geriatric and elderly nursing: ethics, dilemma and decision-making approaches. Chiang Mai: Chiang Mai University; 2014. [In Thai].
Aiken, J. T., & Catalano, T. D. Legal, ethics & political issues in nursing. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis; 2009. 458p.
Thompson I, Melia K, Boyd K, Horsburgh D. Nursing ethics. 5th ed. Edinburgh and London: Elsevier; 2006. 411p.
Saenprasarn P, Sukhawan C, Pitsachat N, Prombon J, Wanitchapanupan W, Chuhar U. The Study of the Factors Related with Ethical Decision-Making on Nursing Risk in Clinical Practice of Army Nursing Staff. Journal of The Royal Thai Army Nurses. 2560;18(3):201-8. [In Thai].
Manal M Alzghoul, Kristen Jones-Bonofiglio. Nurses' tension-based ethical decision making in rural acute care settings. Nursing Ethics. 2020;27(4):1032-43.
Meyer-Zehnder B, Albisser Schleger H, Tanner S, Schnurrer V, Vogt DR, Reiter-Theil S, et al. How to introduce medical ethics at the bedside - factors influencing the implementation of an ethical decision-making model. BMC Med Ethics. 2017;18(16):1-16.
Sittipunt C. It is time to prepare for death, choose the good death method in our own way. Journal-lorchula. 2019;4(44), 10-11. [In Thai].
Thanasilp S. Holistic nursing for end-of-life cancer. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Press; 2022. [In Thai].
Srisawat K, Chaloikittikul S. Critical thinking of nursing students. Royal Thai Army Medical Journal. 2017;70(3),169-174. [In Thai].
Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health. Roles and responsibilities of professional nurses. Bangkok: Suetawan; 2018. [In Thai].