Ethical issues involved in patient refusal of life-saving treatment
Susan Stringer Macmillan head and neck clinical nurse specialist, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham
Susan Stringer examines the ethical dilemmas that occur when a patient’s right to autonomy conflicts with the health professional’s duty of care
Health care is a fundamentally moral endeavour (Pellegrino 1998). Healthcare professionals who care for patients with cancer encounter a plethora of ethical issues. The aim of this article is to appraise the key elements of a case study relating to a decision encountered in practice, and to critically analyse the ethical issues raised by the case.
Cancer Nursing Practice.
8, 3, 30-33.
doi: 10.7748/cnp2009.04.8.3.30.c6978
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