Nurses are critical healthcare providers during global crises, particularly in situations of armed conflict and war, where they face unique and often overwhelming ethical challenges. These professionals are tasked with making immediate and difficult decisions under extreme conditions. This study aims to thoroughly examine the ethical challenges encountered by nurses during global crises, with a particular focus on armed conflicts and wars. This systematic review analyzed articles sourced from PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Magiran, and Google Scholar databases, using the following search terms: "nursing ethics," "war," "global crises," "ethical considerations in nursing during war," and "nursing ethics in armed conflicts." Following a thorough review and filtering process based on the study's objectives, seven articles were selected for inclusion. The findings highlight several ethical challenges faced by nurses during wartime. These challenges include: allocating limited resources under dire circumstances, providing care to both combatants and civilians without bias, maintaining patient confidentiality while cooperating with military authorities, and delivering care in hazardous and unpredictable environments. The ethical issues nurses encounter in global crises, particularly in war, include: 1) the tension between professional duty and political or military affiliations, 2) the ethical dilemma of allocating scarce resources in critical conditions, 3) the decision of which patients should be prioritized for treatment, and 4) the significant risks to life involved in providing care in conflict zones. Nursing care during global crises, especially in wartime, presents profound ethical dilemmas that demand rapid and sound decision-making. Adequate training in nursing ethics tailored to wartime conditions, as well as robust support for nurses in these high-pressure environments, are critical to addressing these challenges effectively.
