Engelsk titel: Does legislation influence nurses’ focus on ethical guidelines? A case study
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Författare:
Kjölsrud, Elisabeth Sveen
;
Clancy, Anne
Email: eliza-s@gktv.no
Språk: Nor
Antal referenser: 32
Dokumenttyp:
Artikel
UI-nummer: 13043914
Sammanfattning
This article is a qualitative case study of two psychiatric wards in a Norwegian hospital. The case represents a typical contemporary challenge health professionals experience, as health services become more regulated and standardised. The aim of the study was to reflect on how structural changes and legislation influenced nurses’ scope of action and their use of ethical guidelines in decision-making. The background for this focus is the 2002 reform in Norwegian hospital structures as well as recent legislation on patients’ rights. Fourteen nurses and two nursing leaders were interviewed. Triple hermeneutics was used in the analysis. This method attempts to expose the interviewees’ own interpretations, the researcher’s interpretations and societal factors that influence both nurses and researcher. The interviewees stated that they had, with time, become more interested in ethics, yet they did not consciously use their professional ethical guidelines. Their ethical focus was largely on legislation, specifically related to the use of force and to autonomy. Economic factors, deadlines, and structural limitations caused the nurses to adopt a pragmatic understanding of their role and to adapt to the conditions in their work place. Our conclusion is that state regulations influence the nurses’ scope of action with the result that less attention is given to professional ethical guidelines.