Fukuoka igaku zasshi = Hukuoka acta medica
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Fukuoka Igaku Zasshi · Aug 2008
Awareness of ethical issues by nursing professionals at a general local hospital in Japan.
In recent years, various ethical issues have arisen in the field of medical practice because of the dramatic changes in medical technology and diversity among the different population. It is generally believed that nurses often find themselves in ethical dilemmas because of their closeness to their patients. In this study, we examined nursing professionals' awareness about ethical issues and examined their responses to them at a general hospital performing important roles in the Chugoku district in Japan. ⋯ However, approximately 45% of the nurses reported that no official investigation such as one conducted by an ethics committee, had been conducted regarding such issues, which thus left the problem unsolved. These results suggested that the "subjectivity of nurses" and the "worries and dilemmas of nurses themselves" impacted the nurses' awareness of ethical issues. It appears that further inquiry into ethical issues is needed, with consideration by an ethics committee to better deal with many of the ethical issues.