Citation

Johns C. Nurs. Ethics 1999; 6(4): 287-298.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/096973309900600404

PMID

10696177

Abstract

Each day, nurse practitioners are faced with clinical situations and dilemmas that have no obvious right answers. This article sets out the process of ethical mapping as a reflective device to enable practitioners to reflect on dilemmas of practice in order to learn through the experience and inform future practice. Ethical mapping is illustrated around a single experience that an intensive care practitioner shared in an ongoing guided reflection relationship. Within this process the practitioner draws on ethical principles to inform the particular situation, notably autonomy, doing harm, truth telling and advocacy. Through reflection, ethical principles are transcended and assimilated into knowing in practice, enabling the practitioner to become more ethically sensitive in responding to future situations.

Language: en

Keywords

*Conflict, Psychological; *Decision Making; *Ethical Analysis; *Ethics, Nursing; *Nursing Process; *Problem Solving; Adult; Bioethics and Professional Ethics; Critical Care; Humans; Male; Nursing Staff, Hospital/psychology; Parents/psychology; Personal Autonomy; Professional Patient Relationship; Suicide, Attempted; Truth Disclosure