Key ethical issues encountered in healthcare organizations: the perceptions of staff nurses and nurse leaders.

The authors compare the results of a May 2002 ethics issues survey of staff nurses who are members of the American Nurses Association (ANA) with those of a February 2000 survey of American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) nurse leaders. The findings reveal a common set of key ethical issues that result from the ineffective management of the conflict between clinical ethics and organizational ethics. Implications for healthcare professionals and the organizations that employ them are discussed.

Ethical helps and challenges faced by nurse leaders in the healthcare industry.

Professional healthcare providers are held responsible for technologic and financial decisions and also for the moral ramifications of their decisions. The authors report the findings of a survey of nurse leaders conducted to determine the key factors that provide help and present challenges as they seek to respond ethically to the dilemmas encountered in the course of their work. Implications for the healthcare industry and the nursing profession are discussed.

Key ethical issues encountered in healthcare organizations: perceptions of nurse executives.

By the very nature of their daily work, nurse executives find themselves at the crossroads of the changing and challenging healthcare ethical environment in which clinical ethics and organizational ethics often collide. The authors present the findings of a survey of members of American Organization of Nurse Executives aimed at more clearly identifying the key ethical issues encountered in healthcare organizations by their nurse executives and others. Implications of the findings for healthcare organizations and their managers also are discussed briefly.