Abstract
This study presents ethical considerations for nursing students using the case study of an emergency patient who
specified no life-supporting treatment in their living will. Data were obtained from 47 fourth-year nursing students
who took critical care theory immediately after completing acute care nursing practice coursework and were
analyzed using the KJ technique. Students’ perspectives originated from ambiguity in language in patients with
impaired willingness and included “credibility of the patient’s language”, “assessing and predicting worsening
prognosis because of pain relief.” Health care workers were associated with “respect for the patient's will.”
Moreover, “a critical perspective based on ethical principles in treatment credibility” considered the family’s
surrogate decision-making. Students’ perspectives focused on final treatment policies leading to sedation rather
than prolonging life. Using ethical principles, students considered whether family and health care workers could
fulfill their respective roles. Students’ perspectives of ethical considerations were mainly patient-centered. Through
this case study, students gained exposure to real-world scenarios with conflicting ethical principles and understood
that optimal solutions for patient care may not be obvious.
