The communication of the truth to the patient: duties and rights in nursing

Abstract

The patient's right to know the trulh and the medical staff's corresponding duty to disclose information have been subject to many different controversial interpretations over the years. This is partly due to the change in the relationship between the patient and the medical staff. Nowadays this relationship appears to be more and more founded on the principle of the patient's autonomy and self-determination, which can lead to extreme consequences. This article begins with the analysis of a clinical case, and in the light of the principles of personalistic ethics (the principle of freedom-responsibility, the rule of trust and truthfulness), of medical deontology applied to nursing, and of the patient's rights, the article then tries to answer two important questions: does the patient have the right to know the truth about his medical condition? Who should communicate the truth: the doctor, the nurse or a member of the family?