J Hosp Palliat Nurs. 2021 Apr 1;23(2):114-119. doi: 10.1097/NJH.0000000000000723.
In the spring of 2020, a novel virus known as COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) was introduced to the human population, and the world faced a global pandemic with far-reaching consequences. One of the most difficult challenges that nurses faced in the midst of the crisis was the lack of proper personal protective equipment (PPE). The lack of PPE left health care professionals with a complicated ethical dilemma: Is there an ethical duty to care for patients in the absence of proper PPE? This article seeks to help the individual nurse (a) understand the ethical dilemma and the tensions that it brings, (b) look to the literature for guidance, and (c) understand how individuals can apply these ethical principles. After careful analysis, the recommendation is for the individual nurse to make a thorough assessment of their personal situation. This will include consideration for their family, community, financial responsibilities, legal protections, organizational policies, and personal health risk. Finally, this article serves as a call to organizations and professional leaders to increase their support of frontline health care workers and provide the individual nurse with the information they need in order to make sound decisions.
2020 年春天，一种新型病毒，即众所周知的 COVID-19（2019 年冠状病毒病），被引入人类群体，世界面临着具有深远影响的全球大流行病。在这场危机中，护士面临的最困难挑战之一是缺乏适当的个人防护设备（PPE）。缺乏 PPE 使医护人员陷入了一个复杂的伦理困境：在没有适当 PPE 的情况下，照顾病人是否存在道德义务？本文旨在帮助个体护士（a）理解这一伦理困境及其带来的紧张局势，（b）从文献中寻找指导，以及（c）了解个人如何应用这些伦理原则。经过仔细分析，建议个体护士对其个人情况进行全面评估。这将包括对其家庭、社区、财务责任、法律保护、组织政策和个人健康风险的考虑。最后，本文呼吁组织和专业领导者增加对一线医护人员的支持，并向个体护士提供他们做出明智决策所需的信息。
