Biomaterial Database

Environments that support ethical practice. 1997

C H Rushton, and J A Brooks-Brunn

Johns Hopkins University and Children's Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Our healthcare system is fundamentally flawed in the ability to provide quality end-of-life care. The provision of quality end-of-life care involves a complex interaction of personal, professional, and societal values and practices. Attention to each dimension of end-of-life care is essential to improve the care of the dying patient and his/her family. Given the complexity of this problem, this article focuses on the critical care environment and the aspect of organizational culture and specific strategies for improvement. Several inter-related components of an environment which may foster ethical thinking, decision-making, and behaviors are discussed including organizational culture, individual agency, collaboration, and educational resources. Every member of the healthcare team has the responsibility to be a catalyst for creating a critical care environment where ethical practice is expected and rewarded rather than punished and suppressed. As a healthcare team, our ultimate goal is to provide healing and humane end-of-life care for all patients and families.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007362	Intensive Care Units	Hospital units providing continuous surveillance and care to acutely ill patients.	ICU Intensive Care Units,Intensive Care Unit,Unit, Intensive Care
D010348	Patient Care Team	Care of patients by a multidisciplinary team usually organized under the leadership of a physician; each member of the team has specific responsibilities and the whole team contributes to the care of the patient.	Health Care Team,Interdisciplinary Health Team,Medical Care Team,Multidisciplinary Care Team,Multidisciplinary Health Team,Healthcare Team,Care Team, Health,Care Team, Medical,Care Team, Multidisciplinary,Care Team, Patient,Care Teams, Health,Care Teams, Patient,Health Care Teams,Health Team, Interdisciplinary,Health Team, Multidisciplinary,Healthcare Teams,Interdisciplinary Health Teams,Medical Care Teams,Multidisciplinary Care Teams,Multidisciplinary Health Teams,Patient Care Teams,Team, Health Care,Team, Healthcare,Team, Interdisciplinary Health,Team, Medical Care,Team, Multidisciplinary Care,Team, Multidisciplinary Health,Team, Patient Care,Teams, Interdisciplinary Health
D011787	Quality of Health Care	The levels of excellence which characterize the health service or health care provided based on accepted standards of quality.	Pharmacy Audit,Quality of Care,Quality of Healthcare,Audit, Pharmacy,Care Quality,Health Care Quality,Healthcare Quality,Pharmacy Audits
D003299	Cooperative Behavior	The interaction of two or more persons or organizations directed toward a common goal which is mutually beneficial. An act or instance of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit, i.e., joint action. (From Random House Dictionary Unabridged, 2d ed)	Compliant Behavior,Behavior, Compliant,Behavior, Cooperative,Compliant Behaviors,Cooperative Behaviors
D003659	Decision Making, Organizational	The process by which decisions are made in an institution or other organization.	Organizational Decision Making
D004992	Ethics, Medical	The principles of professional conduct concerning the rights and duties of the physician, relations with patients and fellow practitioners, as well as actions of the physician in patient care and interpersonal relations with patient families.	Medical Ethics
D005190	Family	A social group consisting of parents or parent substitutes and children.	Family Life Cycles,Family Members,Family Life Cycle,Family Research,Filiation,Kinship Networks,Relatives,Families,Family Member,Kinship Network,Life Cycle, Family,Life Cycles, Family,Network, Kinship,Networks, Kinship,Research, Family
D006272	Health Facility Environment	Physical surroundings or conditions of a hospital or other health facility and influence of these factors on patients and staff.	Environment, Health Facility,Family Planning, Environment,Environments, Health Facility,Facility Environment, Health,Health Facility Environments
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013727	Terminal Care	Medical and nursing care of patients in the terminal stage of an illness.	End-Of-Life Care,End of Life Care,Care, End-Of-Life,Care, Terminal,End-Of-Life Cares