Ethical and Unethical Conduct Among Hospital Nurses : Extraction from Prior Literature

<p>In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis to explore the ethical and unethical behavior exhibited by hospital nurses. We gathered 16 relevant pieces of literature by conducting searches on Ichushi Web and CiNii, using the keywords "ethical behavior" and "nursing profession" or "nurse."</p><p>From this collection, we extracted and categorized literature that discussed both "ethical behavior" and "unethical behavior," focusing on identifying similarities and differences related to ethical principles. From the selected literature, we identified 105 codes related to ethical behavior among nurses working in hospitals, which were further aggregated into 25 subcategories, 15 categories, and 9 major categories. Additionally, we identified 88 codes related to unethical behavior, which grouped into 22 subcategories, 11 categories, and 6 major categories. The ethical behavior of ward nurses was broadly classified based on the principles of beneficence and harmlessness, autonomy, fidelity, and justice. It encompassed behavior such as understanding of the target, collaborating with other professions, and demonstrating a professional belief.</p><p>On the other hand, unethical behavior, which deviated from ethical principles, fell into categories such as non-compliance with the principles of beneficence and harmlessness, autonomy, fidelity, justice, and a lack of professionalism.</p>