Ethical Challenges in Cancer Care: A Qualitative Analysis of Nurses' Perceptions

Cancer is a growing problem in the world, meanwhile, the issue of providing care for cancer patients has been associated with multiple ethical challenges (ECs). This study aimed to investigate and explain the nurses' perceptions of ECs in caring for cancer patients in Iran. In this qualitative study, the participants consisted of 25 nurses working in cancer wards. The typical EC that the nurses are faced with while caring for cancer patients included categories such as creating moral distresses and threat to patient's autonomy. The category of creating moral distress consisted of two subcategories, including faulty communication process and provision of futile care. Also, the category of threat to patient's autonomy included subcategories of individual factors and organizational factors. Since disregarding ethical principles in caring for patients with cancer will result in greater ECs in this respect, the healthcare administrators should make more effort to help establish transparent rules, and develop protocols needed to identify and eliminate these ECs.