Anna Falcó-Pegueroles1, Esperanza Zuriguel-Pérez2, Gemma Via-Clavero3,4, Alejandro Bosch-Alcaraz4,5, Loris Bonetti6,7. 1. School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Quantitative Psychology Research Group (SGR 269), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 2. Head of Multidisciplinary Nursing Research Group, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain. 3. Critical Care Unit, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Nursing Research Group (GRIN-IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain. 4. Pediatric Critical Care Unit, Sant Joan de Deu Hospital, Barcelona, Spain. 5. School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 6. Clinical Expert in Nursing Research, Nursing Development and Research Unit, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, EOC, Bellinzona, Switzerland. 7. University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Manno, Switzerland.
Abstract
AIM: To identify factors underlying ethical conflict occurring during the current COVID-19 pandemic in the critical care setting. BACKGROUND: During the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, Spanish and Italian intensive care units were overwhelmed by the demand for admissions. This fact revealed a crucial problem of shortage of health resources and rendered that decision-making was highly complex. SOURCES OF EVIDENCE: Applying a nominal group technique this manuscript identifies a series of factors that may have played a role in the emergence of the ethical conflicts in critical care units during the COVID-19 pandemic, considering ethical principles and responsibilities included in the International Council of Nurses Code of Ethics. The five factors identified were the availability of resources; the protection of healthcare workers; the circumstances surrounding decision-making, end-of-life care, and communication. DISCUSSION: The impact of COVID-19 on health care will be long-lasting and nurses are playing a central role in overcoming this crisis. Identifying these five factors and the conflicts that have arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic can help to guide future policies and research. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding these five factors and recognizing the conflicts, they may create can help to focus our efforts on minimizing the impact of the ethical consequences of a crisis of this magnitude and on developing new plans and guidelines for future pandemics. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE AND POLICY: Learning more about these factors can help nurses, other health professionals, and policymakers to focus their efforts on minimizing the impact of the ethical consequences of a crisis of this scale. This will enable changes in organizational policies, improvement in clinical competencies, and development of the scope of practice.
AIM: To identify factors underlying ethical conflict occurring during the current COVID-19 pandemic in the critical care setting. BACKGROUND: During the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, Spanish and Italian intensive care units were overwhelmed by the demand for admissions. This fact revealed a crucial problem of shortage of health resources and rendered that decision-making was highly complex. SOURCES OF EVIDENCE: Applying a nominal group technique this manuscript identifies a series of factors that may have played a role in the emergence of the ethical conflicts in critical care units during the COVID-19 pandemic, considering ethical principles and responsibilities included in the International Council of Nurses Code of Ethics. The five factors identified were the availability of resources; the protection of healthcare workers; the circumstances surrounding decision-making, end-of-life care, and communication. DISCUSSION: The impact of COVID-19 on health care will be long-lasting and nurses are playing a central role in overcoming this crisis. Identifying these five factors and the conflicts that have arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic can help to guide future policies and research. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding these five factors and recognizing the conflicts, they may create can help to focus our efforts on minimizing the impact of the ethical consequences of a crisis of this magnitude and on developing new plans and guidelines for future pandemics. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE AND POLICY: Learning more about these factors can help nurses, other health professionals, and policymakers to focus their efforts on minimizing the impact of the ethical consequences of a crisis of this scale. This will enable changes in organizational policies, improvement in clinical competencies, and development of the scope of practice.
Authors: Marina Moreno Martínez; María Isabel Fernández-Cano; Maria Feijoo-Cid; Clara Llorens Serrano; Albert Navarro Journal: Saf Sci Date: 2021-09-16 Impact factor: 6.392
Authors: Katarzyna Czyż-Szypenbejl; Wioletta Mędrzycka-Dąbrowska; Anna Falcó-Pegueroles; Sandra Lange Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-02-08 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Michele Villa; Colette Balice-Bourgois; Angela Tolotti; Anna Falcó-Pegueroles; Serena Barello; Elena Corina Luca; Luca Clivio; Annette Biegger; Dario Valcarenghi; Loris Bonetti Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-11-16 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Noemi Giannetta; Giulia Villa; Loris Bonetti; Sara Dionisi; Andrea Pozza; Stefano Rolandi; Debora Rosa; Duilio Fiorenzo Manara Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-08-26 Impact factor: 4.614
Authors: Colette Balice-Bourgois; Loris Bonetti; Angela Tolotti; Sarah Jayne Liptrott; Michele Villa; Corina Elena Luca; Laura Maria Steiner; Annette Biegger; Silvia Goncalves; Laura Moser; Antonio Palermo; Davide Sari; Dario Valcarenghi Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-10-07 Impact factor: 4.614