Nursing ethical processes in the State of Santa Catarina: characterization of factual elements

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to characterize the processes of ethical and professional nursing transacted at the Regional Nursing Council of Santa Catarina (Coren/SC), considering their factual elements (events/offenses, causes and outcomes). METHOD: This descriptive, exploratory and documentary research with a quantitative approach was developed at Coren/SC. Data was collected from 128 professional ethical processes in nursing, between 1999 and 2007, analyzed descriptively with regard to the origin of the complaints and ethical processes, the denouncers, the accused, the subject of the complaint and the outcome of the process. RESULTS: Considering the topics, out of the eight categories described, iatrogenesis was highlighted, as well as illegal professional practice, conflicting inter-professional relationships and professional responsibility of the nurse. CONCLUSION: The results show the need for discussion and intervention in concrete practical and arouse reflections about the process of professional training and continuous education in the institutional spaces of health, in order to reduce ethical occurrences in professional practice.