Remember The Mission

Nurse Ethics Council

On May 14, 2010, the Nurse Ethics Council was officially launched.  Nancy Ray, RN, MA, CNO enthusiastically greeted the new council members and Dr. Catherine Robichaux, RN, CCRN, CNS, PhD provided a presentation on the history of ethics in Nursing.  The council chair and co-chair, Jeanie Sauerland and Kate Marotta were introduced and spoke to the council about upcoming plans and goals for the group.

Although the kick-off luncheon was the first formal gathering of the NEC, the genesis of the group had begun in 2008, while we were in the process of submitting documents for the Magnet application.  When the Magnet Appraisers visited UHS, members of the research discovery group, had the opportunity to present their plans to the visitors.  Through a series of interviews, discussions, and observations, it became apparent that we as UHS nurses could, and should, have the opportunity to engage more openly in ethical discussions.  Members of the research discovery group that formed in 2009 became founding members of the UHS Nurse Ethics Council.  This included Jeanie Sauerland, Mary Anne Peinemann, Bonnie Schranner, Kate Marotta, Debra Fraley, Evelyn Swenson-Britt, and as mentor and advisor from UTHSCSA SN, Dr. Catherine Robichaux.

Nancy Ray

The Council has been active from the beginning.  Presentations have been made to the UHS Bioethics Committee and a conference at UTHSC “Ethical Challenges in Caring:  Implications for Healthcare Providers” was attended by over 100 individuals from throughout the community.  Currently the council is discussing concepts of professionalism and ethics by reviewing the literature and unit behavioral codes with the goal of drafting a standardized code of behavior to present to Nurse Policy.

Ethics Luncheon

Based on principles of education, research, and engagement, the ultimate goal of the council is to develop unit-based ethic resource nurses who will help their peers navigate the often complex ethical issues faced by patients and staff within the system.  As the council grows and develops, we believe that we can be a powerful force in seeking beneficence for all those touched by the UHS system.

 

 

Nursing Research Week

Every day nurses at University Health System encounter situations that pose questions of what the nurse do in a given situation should.  Patients arrive for care and treatment with complex social situations, impacted by limited resources, which may be simple or very complex in nature.  When these patient’s situations create ambiguity or conflict, stress occurs.  

Sources of stress or conflict may be related to the different roles of the nurse as patient advocate, as hospital employee, as well as providing care under the direction on a physician.   This ambiguity or conflict may create moral distress when the nurse perceives that what is in the patients’ best interest may not be accomplished because of lack of autonomy or other institutional impediments.   Moral distress in nursing is disequilibrium that occurs when nurses are conscious of the morally appropriate action a situation requires but cannot carry out the action because of institution obstacles. 

The intensity of moral distress is influenced by the organizational culture which may impact the nurse in a variety of ways.  The organizational climate guides how ethical issues are addressed and creates an ethical climate. Organizational ethical climate is defined as the conditions and practices that affect the way difficult patient care problems, with ethical implications, are discussed and decided. Power, trust, inclusion, role flexibility and inquiry are present during these conditions

Jeanie Sauerland BSN, RN and Mary Anne Peinemann, MSN, RN wanted to understand more about these complex situations at University Health System.  They formed a discovery group in April 2009.  They became Co-Principle investigators along with discovery members Debra Fraley, MSN, RN, Bonnie Schranner, MSN, RN and Kathleen Marotta, BSN, RN.  Their mentor Catherine Robichaux, PhD, RN with expertise in nursing ethics led the way through their discovery process providing the latest in research as well as a guiding hand through grant fund application and the Institutional Review Board.   

These bold investigators were awarded grant funding from the Delta Alpha Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International to study this phenomenon in November 2009.   Their questions “What are the levels of moral distress, perceptions of ethical climate and experiences of moral residue of registered nurses employed in acute nursing care units?” and  “Is Moral Distress related to the Ethical Climate within a Clinical Unit/organization?” will be answered after approval is received from the Institutional Review Board in the spring of 2010!  

Be looking for their exciting updates and conclusion to this Discovery Group!!