An approach to teaching resolution of ethical dilemmas

Ethical and moral dilemmas are faced by nurses and other health care professionals very frequently. Nurses need to be adequately prepared for effective resolution of these dilemmas. Nurse educators need to focus more on the process of resolution, than stressing upon the right decision. Patricia Crisham's MORAL model presents an organized way of resolving ethical dilemmas; MORAL model begins with ‘massaging the dilemma’, followed by ‘outlining options’ and ‘reviewing the ethical criteria’. The final stages of the model include ‘affirming a position and ACT’ and an opportunity to ‘look back’ at the entire process and its outcomes. The paper presents an ethical dilemma and its resolution through the MORAL model as an exemplar for nurse educators and nursing students. It is recommended that this model should be used in nursing education for teaching systematic resolution of ethical dilemmas, to the nurses.