Workarounds Are Routinely Used by Nurses-But Are They Ethical?

Am J Nurs. 2017 Oct;117(10):53-55. doi: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000525875.82101.b7.

Abstract

: Nurses regularly circumvent work systems they perceive to be flawed to provide more efficient or better care. If kept secret, however, such workarounds become ethically questionable, even when the nurse is trying to do the right thing. In this article, the author discusses how nurses can be creative problem solvers without resorting to practices that may be ethical in intent yet potentially harmful in their consequences.

MeSH terms

  • Burnout, Professional / prevention & control
  • Ethics, Nursing
  • Humans
  • Medical Errors / ethics*
  • Medical Errors / prevention & control
  • Nurses / psychology
  • Nursing Staff, Hospital / ethics*
  • Patient Safety
  • United States
  • Work Schedule Tolerance / psychology*
  • Work Simplification*
  • Workload / psychology*