The role of nurses and needs for clinical ethics support in healthcare setting

Research Project

Project/Area Number	26463222
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Research Field	Fundamental nursing
Research Institution	Keio University
Principal Investigator	MIYAWAKI Mihoko 慶應義塾大学, 看護医療学部(藤沢), 教授 (10263493)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	宮林郁子福岡大学, 医学部, 教授 (40294334) 酒見隆信国際医療福祉大学, 福岡保健医療学部, 教授 (30150410) 平野蘭子慶應義塾大学, 看護医療学部(藤沢), 助教 (40513271)
Project Period (FY)	2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
Budget Amount *help	¥4,940,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,140,000) Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000) Fiscal Year 2016: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000) Fiscal Year 2015: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000) Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
Keywords	臨床倫理 / 看護師の役割 / 倫理的問題 / 倫理支援システム / 支援システム / チーム医療
Outline of Final Research Achievements	Nurses are expected to act as patient advocates but they face a variety of ethical issues in daily clinical practice. The present study was conducted to illustrate clearly the role of nurses and needs for clinical ethics support in healthcare setting. Qualitative research was conducted using semi-structured interviews. As a result, three themes were identified of the role of nurses for clinical ethics: respecting the intentions of patients, supporting patients to express their own ideas, values and feelings, sharing information, and adjust their own ethical value in health care team. Also, three themes were identified of nurses needs for ethical support: timely communication about ethical issues with peer professional colleagues, clinical ethics consultation service to assist the front line staff, and preventive ethical conflict through continuing education. Nurses require the resources to implement structures and programs that support ethics.