Case Studies in Nursing Ethics by Fry Sara T.

From the Publisher

"As the healthcare professional in closest contact with both the patient and the physician, nurses face biomedical ethical problems in unique ways. Accordingly, Case Studies in Nursing Ethics presents basic ethical principles and specific guidance for applying these principles in nursing practice through analysis of over 150 actual case study conflicts that have occurred in nursing practice. Each case study allows readers to develop their own approaches to the resolution of ethical conflict and to reflect on how the traditions of ethical thought and professional guidelines apply to the situation." In the updated Third Edition, all case studies and commentaries were changed to reflect current nursing practice. Likewise, the 2001 ANA Code of Nursing Ethics and federal regulations influencing healthcare delivery and the conduct of research were also revised and updated. In addition, research briefs and summaries were added to demonstrate the types of ethics-related research done by nurses and other healthcare workers.

Christine Grady

This is a very valuable collection of actual cases in nursing ethics in which issues in all areas of nursing practice are covered, accompanied by analytic commentary of the issues raised in the cases. The current book is an updated second edition with the updates reflecting advances in the study of ethics in healthcare and nursing as well as new issues that have arisen. The purpose, as described by the authors, is to provide a special collection of actual cases focusing on ethical challenges and problems faced by nurses in practice, for use by nurses and other healthcare providers who want to learn about applied ethics. A wide range of topics are covered, organized in a format that is appropriate for the systematic study of applied ethics. The authors seek to provide instruction in basic healthcare ethics while specifically showing how theory is applied to nursing. This is a valuable resource for both students and practitioners of nursing, as well as others who are interested in the unique challenges facing nurses today. The authors are infinitely qualified as both are renowned and well respected professionals in healthcare ethics and both have authored many other publications contributing to the healthcare ethics literature. They have collaborated for many years and each brings a rich perspective to this project. The authors begin with an introductory section entitled ""Four Questions of Ethics."" In this section they address the questions such as: What makes right acts right? What kinds of acts are right? How do rules apply to specific situations? And what ought to be done in specific cases? The authors provide an analytic framework for how to think about ethics in nursing and inhealthcare. Following this, they address unique aspects of nursing as a profession by discussing both the values inherent to the profession of nursing, and also the sources of moral authority available to nurses in practice. The remainder of the book is divided into two large sections. In one they address specific issues in nursing organized by well-known principles of bioethics such as beneficence, justice, and veracity. In the other they tackle special problem areas in nursing including genetics, consent to treatment, death and dying, and HIV/AIDS care. This book is an updated second edition of a very valuable resource that is unique in the field. Although there are other books in which nursing ethics are addressed, none compares with this one in the richness of and focus on cases, nor in the credibility of the authors As the authors describe, it was important to update the first edition in order to keep up with changes in the field of healthcare ethics. In this regard, the authors have most visibly added a section on HIV/AIDS care, but also have changed the section previously entitled ""Avoiding Killing"" to one focused on the ""Sanctity of Life,"" and have updated content and cases in many chapters of the book.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Carol Boswell, Ed.D. (Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center)
Description:This book provides a case scenario presentation format for ethical situations. As the third edition, this book includes new cases and updates on prior cases.
Purpose:The purpose is to provide a special collection of "cases focusing specifically on the ethical problems facing nurses." Objectives are provided for each of the chapters, which appear to be acceptably worded. The book meets its overall purpose and the chapters appear to address the objectives designated for each of them.
Audience:According to the authors, the book is written for undergraduate and graduate education of nurses. In addition to functioning as a textbook, it is also valuable for individuals working in the field of ethics. The case study format is very effective for use for CNE, general discussion, etc. The authors are credible authorities.
Features:Each of the 15 chapters presents a designated topic related to ethics. The authors start with an introduction section that provides an overview of ethical decision making. Each chapter provides multiple case studies related to the chapter topic. The glossary appears complete and functional. The lack of color and illustrations is the principal shortcoming of the book.
Assessment:This book compares well with others in the field. Since it uses case studies, it is one of the best for that purpose. Other books do not seem to provide the depth this book does related to the different case scenarios.

Booknews

Fry (Boston College) and Veatch (Georgetown U.) center the text around a selection of 135 cases that raise ethical questions in nursing practice. In the first two parts, the meaning and justification of ethical claims are examined before turning to basic principles of ethics and their application to nursing. The third section presents several specific ethical issues that nurses may encounter, including abortion, genetic interventions, treatment refusals, experimentation, HIV/AIDS care, and end-of-life treatment decisions. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Rating

3 Stars from Doody

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents