PERIOPERATIVE NURSES ENCOUNTER WITH VALUE CONFLICTS - A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

The aim of the study was to gain a better insight into perioperative n urses' experience in a value conflict that has arisen in the periopera tive caring environment and how they deal with it. In order to obtain as full and objective a picture as possible the critical incident tech nique was chosen. Perioperative nurses were asked to write down storie s about value conflicts which they have experienced in the perioperati ve caring environment, when interpreting the textual content of the st ories the aim has been to understand the meaning of nurses' experience s and how the nurses act in a value conflict situation. A value confli ct is something that nurses have become part of against their own will . They are prevented from giving the good care they want to give, they are in conflict with themselves and have a bad conscience, and they f eel guilt and shame for not having prevented the value conflict. The n urse who is involved in a value conflict aims, for the sake of the pat ient, to be a professional caring nurse. The nurse chooses to be the p atient's neighbour, the one who suffers along with the patient and rep resents the patient's cry for help.