Which steps help resolve ethical dilemmas?

• A. Ignore ethical considerations and proceed.
• B. Apply ethical frameworks, consult colleagues, and adhere to professional codes.
• C. Leave the decision to random choice.
• D. Only consider legal obligations.

Answer: (B)

When facing ethical dilemmas in nursing, use a structured process that integrates theory, standards, and collaboration. Applying ethical frameworks provides a clear way to weigh values like autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice, helping you examine the duties to the patient, to protect well-being, and to treat people fairly. Professional codes of ethics guide what is expected of a nurse in practice, offering concrete standards and responsibilities that go beyond personal judgment. Consulting colleagues or an ethics committee brings diverse perspectives, reduces individual bias, and supports a transparent decision-making process with accountability. This combination is more thorough than ignoring ethics, leaving decisions to chance, or focusing solely on legal obligations, because laws may not resolve every ethical nuance and may conflict with professional duties or patient needs.