Abstract

Psychiatric nursing is fraught with more ethical dilemmas than any other area of nursing practice. Ethical dilemmas arise on a day-to-day, if not moment-to-moment basis. The need to confront, appreciate and attempt to resolve these dilemmas represents a major challenge for the practitioner, the educationalist and the researcher. This edited text discusses a range of ethical issues that affect psychiatric nurses. The authors emphasise the direct experience of ethical dilemmas and also provide support from theory and research. Each chapter is prefaced by an introduction to reflect the editors' view of the particular issues involved. This book will appeal to a wide cross-section of nurses and those who educate and manage them. The real-life scenarios which accompany each chapter will bring ethics to life for every reader.