Moore M L
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
J Perinat Neonatal Nurs. 2000 Sep;14(2):25-35. doi: 10.1097/00005237-200009000-00004.
Ethical issues in perinatal nursing are complex in that two patients--mother and fetus--are considered. This work considers six areas of potential ethical conflict: conflict between the mother and fetus, informed consent, confidentiality, cultural conflicts, conflicts associated with managed care, and conflicts in childbirth education. Ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, and justice are included. Strategies for resolving ethical conflicts in community practice settings are suggested.