コロナ禍で手術室看護師が経験した倫理的問題

Ethical issues experienced by operating room nurses during COVID-19

　目的：新型コロナウィルス感染症（以下、COVID-19）に関する手術室看護師が経験した倫理的問題の実態を明らかにすることである。

　方法：手術室看護師（看護師長・看護師経験年数1年未満・非常勤職員を除く）746名を対象に無記名自記式質問紙調査を行い、自由記述を質的帰納的に分析した。

　結果：コロナ禍で手術室看護師が経験する倫理的問題は、【手術を受ける患者へのケア】、【院内システムや方針】、【面会・訪問の制限】、【自身や家族への差別・偏見や制限】の4カテゴリーに整理された。

　結論：手術室看護師は、COVID-19の感染防止対策に取り組みながら患者をケアすることの難しさや、自分自身や家族が社会からの差別・偏見に加え、プライベートも制限されていることに倫理的問題を経験していることが明らかになった。

　Objective: This study aimed to examine the ethical issues experienced by operating room nurses regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

　Methods: A total of 746 operating room nurses (excluding chief nurses, nurses with less than 1 year of experience, and part-time staff) were surveyed using a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire and their free-text responses were analyzed using qualitative induction.

　Results: Ethical issues experienced by operating room nurses during COVID-19 were organized into 4 categories: care for patients undergoing surgery; hospital systems and policies; restrictions on interviews and visits; and discrimination against, prejudice toward, and restrictions on them and their families.

　Conclusion: Operating room nurses experienced ethical issues that made it difficult to care for patients while working on COVID-19 prevention measures, and having theirs and their families' private lives restricted along with facing discrimination and prejudice from society.