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Call for papers - Ethics in nursing

Guest Editor:
Edison Luiz Devos Barlem: Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), Brazil

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 14 June 2024


BMC Nursing is calling for submissions to its Collection on ethics in nursing. Nurses are at the forefront of patient care, where they must navigate rapidly evolving medical technologies, diverse patient populations, and intricate healthcare systems.  Amidst this complex and ever-changing landscape, they face difficult ethical dilemmas that demand thoughtful consideration and well-informed decisions. Through this Collection, we seek to uncover innovative approaches to common ethical issues such as providing end-of-life care, coping with moral distress, and equitable decision-making. 

Meet the Guest Editor

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Edison Luiz Devos Barlem: Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), Brazil

Dr Barlem holds a PhD in Nursing from the Federal University of Rio Grande, Brazil (FURG), where he is currently a professor in the Postgraduate Programs for Nursing and Health Sciences, and Director of the Nursing School. He also holds a scholarship with the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, and is a member of the Brazilian Association of Operating Room Nurses, Anaesthetic Recovery Nurses, and Central Sterilization SOBECC. He is an accomplished researcher in the field of nursing ethics, with a focus on topics such as the ethics of educational technologies in health education, exercising power within work organizations, health judicialization, moral distress, health advocacy, and moral sensitivity.

About the Collection

BMC Nursing is calling for submissions to its Collection on ethics in nursing. Nurses are at the forefront of patient care, where they must navigate rapidly evolving medical technologies, diverse patient populations, and intricate healthcare systems.  Amidst this complex and ever-changing landscape, they face difficult ethical dilemmas that demand thoughtful consideration and well-informed decisions. Through this Collection, we seek to uncover innovative approaches to common ethical issues such as providing end-of-life care, coping with moral distress, and equitable decision-making. 

We welcome submissions on topics including but not limited to:

  • Patient-centered care: Ethical dilemmas in balancing patients' autonomy, preferences, and medical best practices
  • End-of-life care: Discussions on advanced directives, palliative care, and other ethical challenges surrounding end-of-life decision-making
  • Informed consent: Examining the complexities of obtaining valid and voluntary informed consent, especially in vulnerable populations
  • Confidentiality and privacy: Addressing the challenges of maintaining patient confidentiality in the digital age while ensuring seamless care coordination
  • Cultural sensitivity: Exploring how cultural competence and sensitivity influence ethical nursing practices in diverse patient populations
  • Professional boundaries: Navigating the fine line between compassion and maintaining professional boundaries in nurse-patient relationships
  • Whistleblowing and advocacy: The ethical responsibilities of nurses in reporting concerns about patient safety and advocating for quality care
  • Education and training: Ethical considerations in nursing education, including curriculum development and preparing nurses to face ethical challenges
  • Moral distress: Strategies and interventions for coping with moral distress, including ethical education, organizational support, interdisciplinary insights, and long-term impact assessments


Image credit: Mumtaaz D / peopleimages.com / stock.adobe.com

  1. Over the years, caring has been explained in various ways, thus presenting various meanings to different people. Caring is central to nursing discipline and care ethics have always had an important place in nu...

    Authors: Rachel Gilbert and Daniela Lillekroken
    Citation: BMC Nursing 2024 23:216
    Content type: Research Published on:

  2. Given the grave ethical tension and dilemmas posed continuously which are aggravated in the intensive care unit context and its related caregiving provision, combined with their impact on critical care nurses’...

    Authors: Fatma Refaat Ahmed, Nabeel Al-Yateem, Farha Hisham Hijji, Ghadeer Al Dweik, Mohammad Alkawaldeh, Muhammad Arsyad Subu, Jacqueline Maria Dias, Mohannad Eid Aburuz and Sally Mohammed Farghaly
    Citation: BMC Nursing 2024 23:209
    Content type: Research Published on:

  3. Over the years, national and international nurses’ organisations have drawn up Codes of Conduct and Codes of Ethics. A new differentiation has emerged over time between mandatory and aspirational approaches un...

    Authors: Stefania Chiappinotto, Michael Igoumenidis, Alessandro Galazzi, Andjela Kokic and Alvisa Palese
    Citation: BMC Nursing 2024 23:30
    Content type: Research Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read the submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Ethics in nursing" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.