Supporting nurses in ethical decision making.

In their clinical practice, nurses are confronted continuously with ethical issues. There is a growing concern about the capacity of nurses to perform ethically. This article explores the process of ethical decision-making in nursing, including the process of ethical reasoning and the implementation of ethical decisions in clinical practice. This article begins with a reflection on the essence of nursing and on nurses' ethical responsibility. Problems as well as determinants related to nurses' ethical decision-making, are described. Based on the research in this area, some strategies to support ethical decision-making by nurses are proposed.