Page 71 - Human Rights

Faculty of Nursing
Adult care Nursing Department

This includes promoting patient safety, informed consent, and participation in decision-making

related to their care.

Nurses working in custodial settings—such as prisons, detention centers, or psychiatric

institutions—face particular ethical challenges. In these environments, clinical need must always
take priority over institutional or security concerns.

Non-discrimination should be a fundamental value, and all individuals should be treated with
fairness, compassion, and respect.

Nurses must ensure that healthcare decisions are based solely on medical and ethical

considerations, not punishment or control.

When nurses witness human rights abuses, neglect, or unethical practices, they have an ethical

duty to act.

They should be encouraged and supported to report such violations through appropriate channels.
Creating a culture where nurses feel safe to speak out is essential for protecting vulnerable

populations and maintaining ethical standards in healthcare settings.

Governments and healthcare organizations must also ensure that nurses working in high-risk

environments for human rights violations have access to independent sources of advice, guidance,
and emotional support outside the institution’s existing professional framework.

This support helps nurses manage ethical dilemmas, moral distress, and pressure from authorities

or management.

Importantly, nurses should not face punishment, discrimination, or professional consequences for

seeking external advice or reporting abuses.

Legal and institutional protections should be in place to safeguard whistleblowers and uphold
professional integrity.

68 Academic Year 2025/2026