M.D.M. Fowler, J. Levine-Ariff, ,Ethics at the Bedside a Source Book for the Critical Care Nurse...
1
VOl.1 NO.3 1968 BOOK REVIEW Ethics at the Bedside a Source Book for the Critical Care Nurse FOWLER, M.D.M., and LEVINE-ARIFF, J. (1987). Philadelphia: Lippincott The nursing authors of this book have attempted to provide a book that will serve as an ethics resource for thecritical care nurse. The book focuses on issues and cases in critical care nursing and the authors state that they have tried to make it intelligible, applicable and practical. Chapter 1 gives a brief overview of the history of critical care nursing and eludes to the ethical questions raised by the science and technology inherent in crit ieal care nursing. Chapter 2 is a road map to normative ethics and discusses the moral obligations and moral values or nurses, with regard tocritical care nursing. Normative ethics focuses on decisions about what is the right or wrong thing to do (moral obligations), and judgements about what is good or evil in people (moral values). other issues covered in this book include thevery pertinent SUbjects of autonomy, advocacy and accountability and thecritical care nurse's role in the face of new technology and advances in critical care nursing and medicine. Chapters 4-8 deal with some of thepertinent ethical principles and their applicability tocritical care nursing. Principles concerning the boundaries of intervent ton, paternalism, truth tell I ng, allocat Ion of scarce resources and discussion on specific duties thatcritical care nurses have to themselves, are well l11ustrated wlth case histories which evoke strong memories of personal experiences in critical eare nursing. The questions of the relationship of the law to ethics is examined and there is a seriesof Values exercises that you can use in small group discussions in situations such as unit meetings and rounds. I highly recommend this book to all crlt1cal care nurses as a source that Is easily read, and Is pertinent to the problems faced in times of scarce resources and increased demands on the professional nurse. The confrontation of ethical dilemmas in critical care is a source of stress which nurses must face on both a personal and a professional level. Knowledge and discussion of the ethical issues raised In this book can help resolve some of thestress felt by nurses who have to act as so called "double agents" - dea1ing with the dual responsibilities of carrying out medical orders and functioning as the patient advocate. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ISBN 0-397-54642-4 Approxtrnete Cost $40.00 Lorraine Ferguson senior Educator Critical care Courses NSW College of Nursing July 1988 29
-
Upload
lorraine-ferguson -
Category
Documents
-
view
218 -
download
6
Transcript of M.D.M. Fowler, J. Levine-Ariff, ,Ethics at the Bedside a Source Book for the Critical Care Nurse...
VOl.1 NO.3 1968
BOOK REVIEW
Ethics at the Bedside a Source Book for the Critical Care Nurse
FOWLER, M.D.M., and LEVINE-ARIFF, J. (1987). Philadelphia: Lippincott
The nursingauthors of this book have attempted to provide a book thatwill serve asan ethicsresource for thecritical care nurse. The book focuses on issues and cases in critical care nursingand theauthors state that they have tried to make it intelligible, applicable and practical.
Chapter 1gives a brief overview of thehistory of critical care nursingand eludes to the ethicalquestions raised by thescience and technology inherent in crit ieal care nursing. Chapter 2 is aroad map to normative ethics and discusses themoral obligations and moral values or nurses, withregard to critical care nursing. Normative ethics focuses on decisions about what is the right orwrong thing todo (moral obligations), and judgements about what is good or evil in people (moralvalues).
other issues covered in this book include thevery pertinent SUbjects of autonomy, advocacy andaccountability and thecritical care nurse's role in the face of new technology and advances incritical care nursing and medicine. Chapters 4-8 deal with some of thepertinentethicalprinciples and their applicability to critical care nursing. Principles concerning theboundaries ofinterventton, paternalism, truth tell Ing, allocatIon of scarce resources and discussion on specificduties thatcritical care nurses have to themselves, are well l11ustrated wlth case histories whichevoke strong memories of personal experiences in critical eare nursing.
The questions of therelationship of the law toethics is examined and there is aseriesof Valuesexercises thatyou can use in small group discussions in situations such as unit meetings androunds.
I highly recommend this book toall crlt1cal care nurses asasource that Is easily read, and Ispertinent to the problems faced in timesof scarce resources and increased demands on theprofessional nurse. The confrontation of ethical dilemmas in critical care is asource of stresswhich nurses must face on both a personal and aprofessional level. Knowledge and discussion of theethical issues raised In this book can help resolve some of thestress felt by nurses who have toactas so called "double agents" - dea1ing with the dual responsibilities of carrying out medical ordersand functioning as thepatient advocate.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
ISBN 0-397-54642-4
Approxtrnete Cost $40.00
Lorraine Fergusonsenior EducatorCritical care CoursesNSW College of Nursing
July 1988
29
