|
Ethical Challenges of Professional Nursing Practice in War and Humanitarian Crisis Settings
|
Maedeh Sadeghi golafshani   , Hamid Hojjati , Zohere Hojjati |
|
|
|
Abstract: (100 Views) |
Background: War and humanitarian crises are accompanied by structural pressures, resource shortages, and clinical uncertainty, all of which may generate significant ethical challenges for nurses. Understanding the dimensions of these challenges is essential to enhance quality of care and support the healthcare workforce. This study aimed to identify and analyze the ethical challenges of professional nursing practice in war and humanitarian crisis settings.
Methods: This study was conducted as a narrative review using qualitative content analysis of scientific literature published in major international databases. Studies addressing professional nursing ethics in situations of war, armed conflict, and humanitarian emergencies were retrieved and analytically reviewed.
Results: The findings indicated that ethical challenges faced by nurses could be categorized into seven major domains: conflicts between ethical principles and structural constraints; moral distress and moral injury; complex clinical decision-making under conditions of uncertainty; psychological consequences; the humanistic and supportive role of nurses; challenges related to health technologies; and the need for ethics education and organizational support. Moral distress and moral injury emerged as significant long-term consequences of sustained exposure to crisis conditions, potentially affecting both quality of care and nurses’ mental health.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that addressing ethical challenges in crisis settings requires a multi-level approach, including strengthening clinical ethics education, developing supportive policies, and fostering a positive ethical organizational climate. Attention to the ethical and psychological dimensions of nursing practice can contribute to improving healthcare quality and preserving human dignity during crises.
|
Article number: 06 |
| Keywords: Ethical challenges, Nursing, War, Humanitarian crises |
|
|
Full-Text [PDF 137 kb]
(87 Downloads)
|
Type of Study: Review |
Subject:
General
Received: 2026/03/16 | Accepted: 2026/05/30 | Published: 2026/05/31
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Send email to the article author |
|
|
|
| Add your comments about this article |
|
|
|
