Employed to Go Against One's Values: Nurse Managers' Accounts of Ethical Conflict With Their Organizations

Abstract

This qualitative descriptive study examined ethical conflict in the workplace as experienced by nurse managers. Using semi-structured interviews, 15 nurse managers employed by 7 hospitals in 1 province in eastern Canada were interviewed. Four themes of ethical conflict were identified in the data: voicelessness, "where to spend the money," the rights of the individual versus the needs of the organization, and unjust practices on the part of senior administration and/or the organization. The authors identify factors that mitigated or worsened the ethical conflict, as well as the outcomes for the nurse managers. They also discuss the implications for nurses, hospitals, and future research.