Ethical issues: a survey of perioperative nurses.

A convenience sample of 499 perioperative nurses was surveyed to determine what they perceive to be the most pressing ethical issues. Staffing patterns, informed consent, allocation of resources, and occupational risk were ranked as most important. Also surveyed were subjects' knowledge and application of the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code for Nurses with Interpretive Statements--Explications for Perioperative Nursing (ANA Code in AORN: Standards and Recommended Practices. Denver, CO, 1994.