Table 5 Participants' main actions in dealing with the 11 pre-identified ethical issues
| Â | Ethical issues | Main action | Percentage of participantsa |
|---|---|---|---|
1. | Protecting patients' rights | Discuss with doctors | 45.0 |
2. | Care of patients' quality of life | Discuss with doctors | 44.1 |
3. | Providing care with possible risk to own health and safety | Discuss with doctors | 42.4 |
4. | Respecting informed consent by patients to treatment | Discuss with doctors | 66.2 |
5. | Use of physical or chemical restraints on patients | Discuss with doctors | 65.4 |
6. | Determining when death occurs | Discuss with doctors | 79.8 |
7. | Prolonging dying process without appropriate reason | Discuss with doctors | 79.3 |
8. | Hiding information regarding patients' actual condition from patients or family | Discuss with doctors | 67.7 |
9. | Working with unethical or incompetent colleague | Discuss with other nurses | 34.3 |
10. | Problems of staffing that limit patients' access to nursing care | Refer to the hospital's management team | 40.9 |
11. | Problems of medical resource management that limit patients' access to nursing care | Refer to the hospital's management team | 40.3 |