Ethical responsibility in nursing care from an existentialist view in direct care
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35381/s.v.v10i20.5150Keywords:
Ethical responsibility, nursing, existentialism, direct care, moral distress, palliative care, (Source: DECS).Abstract
Objective: to systematize scientific evidence on the ethical responsibility of nursing care from an existentialist perspective in direct care, based on publications from 2020 to 2026. Methods: it was guided and assessed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 checklist and was based on the Population, Concept, and Context (PCC) framework. The search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and SciELO databases. After refinement of the search strategy, 50 articles were included. The results showed that more than 85% were qualitative studies and reviews, with the highest scientific output reported in 2025 and 2026. Four thematic axes were identified: responsibility and moral deliberation; moral distress and institutions; humanization and autonomy in care; and dignity with existential accompaniment through the end of life. The literature on freedom, responsibility, presence, guilt, intersubjective relations, and care was analyzed, and the strengthening of spaces for ethical reflection was proposed.
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