The Role of Nurses in Ethical Decision-Making for End-of-Life Cancer Patients: Withholding or Withdrawing Life-Sustaining Interventions
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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.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
ลิขสิทธิ์ของบทความที่ตีพิมพ์เป็นของวารสารพยาบาลศาสตร์ จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย ทั้งฉบับตีพิมพ์เป็นรูปเล่มและเอกสารออนไลน์
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