Abstracts
Abstract
Context: Nurses are often hesitant to talk about ethical issues in their practice for many unique and valid reasons. What if the burden of risk was lifted upon retirement, even if just slightly? The purpose of this study was to explore retired nurses’ reflections on their experiences of ethical issues and decision making in various nursing practice settings throughout their careers and to glean recommendations for ethics in contemporary nursing practice. Methods: Data were collected via in-depth, individual, semi-structured interviews. Guided by an interpretive, descriptive approach, data were managed with NVivo v.11 and analyzed with an inductive, comparative, thematic approach. In northern Ontario, two nurse researchers co-interviewed eight retired nurses with decades of practice experience across diverse Canadian health care settings. Ethics approval was obtained through Lakehead University’s Research Ethics Board. Findings: Three themes emerged to address ethical issues in practice; these are creativity, resourcefulness, and a strong sense of community with other nurses. Further, the retired nurses’ collated reflections on ethics in practice are presented as the FIG model: Fellowship, Ingenuity, and Gumption. Conclusions: This study identifies ethical underpinnings that retired nurses have used to effectively respond to ethical issues in their practice. Those who are currently nursing, and nursing as a profession, may wish to recognize and retain these strategies in order to continue to deliver a high standard of quality, ethical care. Recommendations for practice, research, and education are offered.
Keywords:
- retired nurses,
- ethics,
- ethical decision making,
- nursing practice,
- Canada
Résumé
Contexte : Les infirmières hésitent souvent à parler des questions d’éthique dans leur pratique pour de nombreuses raisons uniques et valables. Et si le fardeau du risque était allégé à la retraite, ne serait-ce que légèrement? L’objectif de cette étude était d’explorer les réflexions des infirmières et infirmiers à la retraite sur leurs expériences des questions éthiques et de la prise de décision dans divers contextes de pratique infirmière tout au long de leur carrière et de glaner des recommandations sur l’éthique dans la pratique infirmière contemporaine. Méthodes : Les données ont été recueillies au moyen d’entretiens individuels semi-structurés approfondis. Guidées par une approche interprétative et descriptive, les données ont été gérées avec NVivo v.11 et analysées selon une approche inductive, comparative et thématique. Dans le nord de l’Ontario, deux infirmières chercheuses ont co-interviewé huit infirmières à la retraite ayant des décennies d’expérience de la pratique dans divers milieux de soins de santé canadiens. L’approbation éthique a été obtenue auprès du comité d’éthique de la recherche de l’Université Lakehead. Résultats : Trois thèmes ont émergé pour aborder les questions d’éthique dans la pratique : la créativité, l’ingéniosité et un fort sentiment de communauté avec les autres infirmières. De plus, les réflexions rassemblées par les infirmières à la retraite sur l’éthique dans la pratique sont présentées comme le modèle FIG : Fellowship, Ingenuity, and Gumption. Conclusions : Cette étude identifie les fondements éthiques que les infirmières à la retraite ont utilisés pour répondre efficacement aux questions éthiques dans leur pratique. Ceux qui sont actuellement infirmiers et infirmières en tant que profession pourraient souhaiter reconnaître et conserver ces stratégies afin de continuer à fournir des soins de qualité et éthiques. Des recommandations pour la pratique, la recherche et l’éducation sont proposées.
Mots-clés :
- infirmières,
- infirmiers,
- retraité,
- éthique,
- prise de décision éthique,
- pratique infirmière,
- Canada
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Appendices
Acknowledgements / Remerciements
The authors of this study acknowledge collaboration with Lakehead University’s Centre for Health Care Ethics, Ms. Daseul Shin (initial literature review), and Dr. Sally Dampier (insightful feedback on the manuscript). We extend gratitude to the retired nurses who shared their experiences of ethics in nursing practice; yes, once a nurse, always a nurse. In our eyes, as current RNs and nurse academics, we are always going to be inspired by you, our beloved retired nurses! Thank you.
Les auteurs de cette étude reconnaissent la collaboration du Centre for Health Care Ethics de l’Université Lakehead, de Mme Daseul Shin (revue initiale de la littérature) et du Dr Sally Dampier (commentaires perspicaces sur le manuscrit). Nous exprimons notre gratitude aux infirmières à la retraite qui ont partagé leurs expériences de l’éthique dans la pratique des soins infirmiers ; oui, infirmière un jour, infirmière toujours. À nos yeux, en tant qu’infirmières autorisées et infirmières universitaires, nous serons toujours inspirées par vous, nos infirmières retraitées bien-aimées! Nous vous remercions.
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