Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Assistant Professor, Borujen Faculty of Nursing, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences. Shahrekord, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Iranian Research Center on Healthy Aging Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: Ethical decision-making is the most fundamental component of the professional performance of health professionals. It faces serious and conflicting challenges in war situations. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to explain the experiences of health professionals of the challenges of ethical decision-making in war situations.
Materials and Methods: The present study is a qualitative study with a conventional content analysis approach. 15 health professionals (physicians, nurses, emergency medical technicians, and other healthcare workers) were included in the study through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The duration of each interview was between 45 and 75 minutes.
Results: After analyzing the data from the interviews, 468 semantic units were extracted. These units were reduced to 123 initial codes in the initial coding stage. By comparing and merging similar codes, 20 sub-concepts were identified, which were organized into 5 main concepts. At a higher abstract level, these concepts were placed under a central theme titled erosion of professional ethics in the context of inevitable war decisions.
Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that ethical decision-making in wartime is a complex, multi-layered, and exhausting process that confronts health professionals with constant conflict between ethical principles and field realities, pressure from resource constraints, and triage challenges. These experiences leave lasting psychological and ethical consequences on individuals' professional and personal lives, leading to a redefinition of the meaning and priorities of professional ethics in the context of crisis.
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