When prima facie duties collide: Ethical responses to refusal of basic nursing care

Leah Gudex, Evelina Hristova, Jay Hathaway, Janice Firn, Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Chicago Medicine, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Burn Intensive Care Unit, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan Bioethics and Department of Learning Health Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor

Nursing Ethics: An International Journal for Health Care Professionals

Published online on July 14, 2026

Abstract

Nursing Ethics, Ahead of Print.
BackgroundWhen patients refuse basic nursing care in the hospital setting, ethical tension arises between promoting patient dignity by providing hygiene and honoring bodily autonomy by respecting patient refusal of interventions.Research AimTo describe ...