Ethical Consideration Provided by Nurses in the Situation of Sanitation Support

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to define judgments and acts provided by nurses as ethical consideration in the situation of daily cleanliness support for patients. A qualitative, inductive approach was used for the research design, and a method of participating observation and half-composition-interview was employed to conduct the research with six nurses and 12 patient who work for the“A”University Hospital. As a result of analyzing 12 situations obtained through the research process, 4 core categories, 14 categories, and 161 sub-categories were extracted. The 4 core categories extracted in this research were as follows：respecting patients and encouraging their independence ; ensuring the safety of patients and providing smooth support ; making patients feel pleasant through support and eliminating discomfort or hazards to them ; and showing consideration for patients’feelings and building a trust relationship. These are relevant to the attitudes required for nurses regulated as the“Code of Ethics for Nurses”and it is considered that the observance and conduct of ethical practices by nurses in patient care activities will lead to high-quality nursing care.