Ethical dilemmas related to the HIV-positive person in the workplace
Botes, A.; Otto, M.
Nursing Ethics 10(3): 281-294
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 0969-7330 PMID: 12762462 DOI: 10.1191/0969733003ne606oaDocument Number: 253033
This study's objectives were: (1) to describe and explore the ethical dilemmas surrounding the HIV-positive person in the workplace in South Africa; and (2) to describe the Rational Interaction for Moral Sensitivity (RIMS) approach as a possible mechanism for solving these ethical dilemmas. A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research design was used. The target populations were HIV-positive employees and occupational health nurses working for a South African company. Data collected through individual HIV-positive employee interviews and occupational health nurse workgroups were analysed. The ethical dilemmas were conceptualized and described within the theoretical framework of the principles of ethics, namely, autonomy, beneficence, justice and confidentiality. To elicit a solution to the dilemmas, the data were recontextualized using the RIMS approach, a group decision-making strategy designed for the business environment.