Withholding truth from patients
Intended for healthcare professionals
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Withholding truth from patients

O’Sullivan Elizabeth Registered general nurse, Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar, Co Mayo

The issue of whether patients should always be told the truth regarding their diagnosis and prognosis has afforded much debate in healthcare literature. This article examines telling the truth from an ethical perspective. It puts forward arguments for and against being honest with patients, using a clinical example to illustrate each point.

Nursing Standard. 23, 48, 35-40. doi: 10.7748/ns2009.08.23.48.35.c7202

Correspondence

lizosul@eircom.net

Peer review

This article has been subject to double blind peer review

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