Nurses’ experiences of ethical problems in the end-of-life care of patients : A literature review

Abstract: Background: In the background section the following terms are described: Palliative care and holistic view, care at the end-of-life, ethical problems in the end-of-life care and ethical problem and ethical dilemma. Aim: The purpose of this literature review was to describe nurses’ experiences of ethical problems in the end-of-life care of patients. Method: A literature review was selected as a method in this study based on eightscientific articles. Articles were reviewed and analyzed critically by the author. Travelbees’ theory (1971) “human- to- human relationships” was selected as a theoretical basis. Results: The result presents six themes as follows: Decision-making, ineffective treatments and therapies, insufficient communication, the lack of cooperation, inadequate respect for patient’s autonomy and uncertainty in caring role. These themes present how nurses deal with end-of-life care and in which situations ethical problems arise. Discussions: The result was discussed in relation to Travelbees’ theory (1971) “human-to-human relationships”. Nurses’ different experiences according to their different responsibilities such as insufficient communication and cooperation, decision-making processes, uncertainty in caring role and inadequate respect for patients’ autonomy were discussed.