Applying Ethical Decision-Making Models in Nursing to Complex Pregnancy and Family Conflict Case Studies

Applying integrated ethical decision-making frameworks empowers nurses to resolve challenging dilemmas involving pregnant patients and family wishes with compassion and professionalism.

Review “An Integrated Ethical-Decision-Making Model for Nurses” from the University Library.

Nurses benefit from such resources as they build skills for handling sensitive patient scenarios in daily practice.

Apply the ethical decision-making model in the article to access the Our Pregnant Daughter Didn’t Want This… case study from the Center for Practical Bioethics.

Review the Questions for Discussion following the case.

These questions encourage deeper reflection on the real-life implications for healthcare providers.

Follow the steps provided in the model, including the following:

Step 1:

Explain the ethical issues, other relevant ethical considerations, and ethical principles relevant to this case study and how they affect the nursing practice.

Step 2:

Collect and analyze additional information related to this case study, including researching and explaining any legal considerations.

Exploring laws around patient autonomy and surrogate decision-making adds critical context to your analysis.

Step 3:

Develop alternatives (different options) and compare them.

Step 4:

Determine your position and justify it:

• What specific actions should be taken to ensure an appropriate outcome?
• Why is your position important, needed, or beneficial for vulnerable populations?
• Are the legal and ethical responsibilities in alignment with each other? If they are not in alignment, how does your position deal with that conflict?

Weighing these elements helps ensure decisions prioritize patient well-being while respecting diverse viewpoints.

Step 5:

Find strategies to implement the plan:

• What ethical arguments could you use to persuade someone who disagrees with your position?

Sample Answer Guide

Start with outlining core ethical principles like autonomy and beneficence in the pregnancy case to set a strong foundation for your response.

Analyze how family dynamics influence decisions and suggest gathering input from multidisciplinary teams for balanced insights.

Incorporate legal aspects such as advance directives to strengthen your evaluation of alternatives.

Justify positions by emphasizing protection for vulnerable groups like expectant mothers facing health crises.

Develop persuasion strategies rooted in empathy and evidence to address differing opinions effectively.

Ethical frameworks guide nurses toward outcomes that honor patient dignity and promote trust in care settings.

Robichaux et al. (2022) highlight the role of ethics education in building moral agency among nurses, which supports structured approaches in complex cases (doi: 10.3928/01484834-20220109-02).

Supporting Insights on Ethical Decision-Making in Nursing

How do nurses effectively handle ethical conflicts in pregnancy-related end-of-life care? Structured models like the integrated framework provide a clear pathway for assessing issues such as patient autonomy versus family preferences, drawing from credible sources like the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics.

Case studies from the Center for Practical Bioethics illustrate real-world applications, where data from recent studies shows that ethical training reduces moral distress by up to 30% in critical care settings, as reported in BMC Nursing journals.

Industry sites like the Nurses Service Organization emphasize systematic approaches to align legal and ethical duties, ensuring beneficial outcomes for vulnerable populations through collaborative decision processes.

Implementing these strategies fosters resilience and advocacy in nursing practice.

Recommended References

1. Robichaux, C., Robinson, J., Grace, P. and Sin, H.P., 2022. Ethics education for nurses: Foundations for an integrated curriculum. Journal of Nursing Education, 61(3), pp.123-130. doi: 10.3928/01484834-20220109-02.
2. Sengul, T., Sariköse, S. and Gul, A., 2025. Ethical decision-making and artificial intelligence in nursing education: An integrative review. Nursing Ethics. doi: 10.1177/09697330251366600.
3. Afenigus, A.D., Getahun, A.B., Alemu, T.G., Ayele, A.D., Yismaw, Y.S., Ayehu, G.W., Ayenew, T. and Mulu, A.T., 2025. Ethical dilemmas and decision-making in emergency and critical care nursing in Western Amhara region, Northwest Ethiopia: a multi-method qualitative study. BMC Nursing, 24. doi: 10.1186/s12912-025-02958-5.
4. Chen, X., Zhang, Y., Wang, Y. and Li, J., 2025. Development and psychometric properties of the nursing ethical decision-making ability scale. BMC Medical Ethics, 26, 35. doi: 10.1186/s12910-025-01190-9.