ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND DECISION MAKING IN MEDICAL SURGICAL NURSING

Medical-surgical nursing is a fast-paced and demanding field where nurses often face difficult ethical decisions. Patients in these settings are frequently critically ill, requiring quick judgment calls while balancing complex needs. Core ethical principles—such as respecting patient autonomy, doing good (beneficence), avoiding harm (non-maleficence), and ensuring fairness (justice)—are essential in guiding practice.  This chapter explores real-world ethical challenges nurses encounter, from consent dilemmas to end-of-life conflicts, and offers practical frameworks to navigate them. We’ll also discuss how laws, cultural differences, and teamwork influence ethical care. Through case studies and the latest research, we provide actionable strategies to help nurses make sound, compassionate decisions.