Descriptive and exploratory study with a quantitative approach involving hundred fourteen causes of nursing ethical occurences (or infractions) between 1995 _ 2001. The objectives of the study were to: 1) characterize the nursing professionals involved in ethical occurences; 2) identify causes of mistakes made. Outcomes obtained showed that: a) nursing auxiliaries were responsible for the majority of ethical occurences; b) the main cause of occurrences were negligence, followed by imprudence; c) the more frequent technical mistake observed was in the preparation and/or administration of medicines. This study aims to contribute for a better understanding of the ethical issue involved in the daily nursing practice, as well as to alert profissionals in order to not be involved in similar ethical events.
negligence in nursing; mistakes by nursing personnel; responsability in nursing care