Abstrakt
Emerging trends in nursing have broadened the traditional scope of nursing practice with growing demands for ethical considerations in clinical judgments. Nurses are experiencing more ethical dilemmas in areas such as end of life issues, organ donation and transplantation, and truth telling among others. It is expected that these challenges will continue to increase and even become more complex. Despite this, the academic and professional preparation of nurses in Africa to cope with these issues is doubtful. The myriad of peculiar socio-economic and political problems in many African societies present potential threat to the adoption of ethical standards in health care practice. Many health care workers including nurses attach little importance to consumer rights in making informed decisions in issues related to clinical care and research participation. The alleged participation of nurses in the inhuman treatment of the children recruited during the Pfizer’s clinical trial of Trovan for cerebrospinal meningitis in northern Nigeria exemplifies this. Such conducts could reduce patients’ worth as persons, and at the same time an indictment of nurses’ moral sanctity. This paper reviews the current ethical challenges facing professional nurses in Nigeria. The concept and critical relevance of clinical ethics in giving adequate information to patients, relatives and other health workers upon which ethically sound informed decision making is done in clinical situations were highlighted.
Keywords: Clinical ethics, Africa, emerging, nurses’ role, Nigeria.
Résumé
La tendance émergente en infirmerie a élargît la compétence traditionnelle de la pratique d’infirmerie avec la demande croissante des considérations éthiques en jugements cliniques. Les infirmières rencontrent plus de dilemmes éthiques dans les domaine tells que les derniers instant de vie (la mort), la donation et la transplantation d’organes, et les vérités dites parmi les autres. Il est souhaite que ces défis continues agrandir et même deviennent plus complexe. Malgré cela, la préparation académique et professionnelles des infirmiers en Afrique pour faire face a cette situation est mise en doute. La multitude des problèmes socioéconomiques et politiques dans plusieurs sociétés africaines présente une menace potentielle a l’adoption du standard éthique
dans la pratique des soins de santé. Plusieurs professionnels de soins de santé y compris les infirmiers accordant peu d’importance aux droits du patient en ce qui concerne la prise de décision liée au soin Clinique et a la participation a la recherché. La participation des infirmiers dans le traitement inhumain des enfants recrutes pendant l’essai Clinique Pfizer du Trovan pour le traitement de la méningite cérébrospinale au Nord du Nigeria l’a prouve. De telles conduits peuvent affecter la dignité du patient et une accusation de la moralité des infirmiers. Cette étude revois les défies éthiques courantes auxquels font face les infirmiers au Nigeria. Le concept et la pertinence critique de l’éthique clinique de donner l’information adéquate aux patients, aux proches et aux autres professionnels sur la prise des décisions dans les situations cliniques ont été illuminés.
Correspondence: Dr. Prisca O. Adejumo, Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. E-mail: bisiandbayo@yahoo.com
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