In many ethical dilemmas, who may need to be involved to reach a resolution?

• A. The patient
• B. The charge nurse
• C. A board or ethics committee
• D. The hospital janitor

Answer: (C)

When ethical dilemmas arise in patient care, decisions are best guided by a formal, multidisciplinary review. An ethics committee provides a structured forum that brings together diverse perspectives—clinical facts, patient values, family concerns, and organizational policies—to carefully weigh benefits, risks, and rights. This collaborative process helps ensure decisions align with ethical principles like autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice, while also honoring legal and institutional guidelines. It also supports consistency and accountability, offering documentation and a clear path for resolving disagreements when resources or values clash.

The patient and family are important participants, but a single clinician often cannot navigate all the competing factors. A charge nurse has clinical insight and leadership role, but may not have access to the broader policy framework required for ethical resolution. A hospital janitor has no role in guiding ethical decisions. An ethics committee is the appropriate body to involve to reach a well-supported resolution.