Abstract
It is said that different professions, such as physicians, nurses, medical social workers (MSWs), and administrative staff, have different values, but these differences have never been examined in an ethical problem-solving situation. Therefore, we conducted a qualitative comparative analysis of the agreement contents derived from ethical consultation of two simulated cases by job category in five hospitals in prefecture A. As a result, while respecting the patient’s will or presumed will was common to each job category, the following job-specific tendencies were found in common in the two cases : physicians emphasized [application of rules set by the hospital and general rules], nurses emphasized [patient dignity] and [establishment of a medical-patient/family relationship], and MSWs emphasized [patient dignity] and were more interested in [holistic involvement considering the patient’s life]. These differences in values are thought to be due in large part to the differences in their respective occupational duties. How these diverse values of multi-disciplinary should be integrated and consolidated into a consensus in ethics consultation is an issue for future study.
