ETHICS MEETINGS IN SUPPORT OF GOOD NURSING CARE: SOME PRACTICE-BASED THOUGHTS

Key words: ethical reflection; ethics committees; interprofessional dialogue; nurses; nursing ethics The purpose of this article is to clarify both the role of nurses in ethics meetings and the way in which ethics meetings can function as a catalyst for good nursing care. The thoughts presented are practice based; they arose from our practical experiences as nurses and ethicists with ethics meetings in health care organizations in Belgium. Our reflec-tions are written from the perspective of the nurse in the field who is participating in (inter)professional ethical dialogue. First, the difficulties that nurses experience while par-ticipating in ethics meetings are described. Then the possibilities for support of nurses in their ethical responsibility are explored