Applying Ethical Framework in Practice
Adele Wolf, RN
Grand Canyon University
Ethical Decision Making in Health Care
NRS 437V
Charlene Cowley, MS, RN, CPNP
February 26, 2011
Applying Ethical Framework in Practice Confidentiality is the right of an individual patient to have personal, identifiable medical information kept private; such information should be available only to the physician of record and other health care and insurance personnel as necessary. The only time information should be disclosed is with informed consent, with concern for the safety of other specific persons, or in concern for public welfare (K. Edwards, 2008). This paper will discuss the choices made by one nurse who cared for teenage girls in an
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In order for medicine to be practiced and therapy to be effective patients must be able to trust their health care provider. For example, a patient of Dr. Edgell was a prisoner in a secure hospital following conviction for killing five people and wounding several others. He made application to a mental health tribunal to be transferred to a less secure unit. Dr. Edgell was asked to provide a confidential expert opinion that they hoped would show that the patient was no longer a danger to the public. However Dr. Edgell was of the opinion that in fact this patient (W) was still very dangerous. W’s application was withdrawn. Dr. Edgell, knowing that his opinion would not be included in the patient’s notes, sent a copy to the medical director of the hospital and to the Home Office. The patient brought an action for breach of confidence. The court of Appeal held that the breach was justified in the public interest, on grounds of protection of the public from danger. The Court Judge said the risk must be ‘real, immediate and serious’ (Beauchamp & Childress, 2001). There are ethical and legal implications for a confidentiality breach. After reading this article it was evident that this nurse had choices when she decided what to say to these girls. To gain their confidence she should have told them that nothing done or said in the ER will go anywhere unless the results would cause considerable harm to someone else or endanger the life of an individual. The girls
To begin the understanding of confidentiality, the author first provided readers with a formal concept analysis on confidentiality. He explained how confidentiality did not truly become a concept of interested until 1961, when the general nursing guides made a small mention related to the concept in regards to privileged
Ethical issues have always affected the role of the professional nurse. Efforts to enact this standard may cause conflict in health care settings in which the traditional roles of the nurse are delineated within a bureaucratic structure. Nurses have more direct contact with patients than one can even imagine, which plays a huge role in protecting the patients’ rights, and creating ethical issues for the nurses caring for the various patients they are assigned to. In this paper I will discuss some of the ethical and legal issues that nurses are faced with each and every day.
Castledine, G., 2010. Limitations of confidentiality, British Journal of Nursing, [e-journal] 19 (2), Available through: Anglia Ruskin University Library website [Ac
Creating and defining my own ethical framework is essential in future success as a businessman, a leader, and a team player. As a business student, I have learned that it can be a very cut throat industry and in order to get ahead, at some point and ethical dilemma will undoubtedly be an obstacle I have to overcome. The way I handle these dilemmas can make or break my career; business ethics are a key part of earning and sustaining respect, trust, and a good rapport with both clients and competitors in your industry. Therefore a solid ethical framework is an important tool for me to have as a standard for handling these types of dilemmas so that I can grow successfully while staying true to myself and to
Patient confidentiality is one thing that cannot be breached nor as a patient that you would want to be breached. In this day and age as healthcare professionals it is a very fine line of what breaching confidentiality is. We all want to know that when we are sick and in the hospital, the one thing that we can keep personal is our privacy which would include our health information. It is hard to imagine that in a state of vulnerability that some things must be disclosed to certain departments regardless of your desire to keep it private
According to the ANA (American Nurses Association), it is the duty of nurse to protect the patient’s rights, safety, health and advocate for the patient. By treating the patient in an open area, invades their privacy, can cause embarrassment and most of all jeopardize trust between the patient and care giver. This negligent care could also lead to legal ramifications in the future against the hospital. By breaking this trust, the patient may also omit valuable information that could affect their treatment ultimately causing them harm. Some patients may become noncompliant with their prescribed treatment. It is essential that effective communication between patient and care provider occurs at all times. . Healthcare providers are obligated to give safe and effective care.
Oftentimes, I am asked the question of why I am a nurse, and truth be told, sometimes I don’t know the answer why I want to be a nurse. All I really know is that I have wanted to help those in need since I was a little girl. Time has really flown, I‘ve been a professional nurse for almost 26 years. When we discuss the topic of making ethical decisions today, I look to the very beginning of my nursing career. I was very happy to see my pediatric patients had been discharged home from their illness (e.g. fever, pneumonia, diarrhea, and infection disease etc) after we took good care of them. One day, the parents of a patient who was 2 year old boy with acute kidney
Health care professionals are subject to a multitude of professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities which call for personal judgment to be utilized in such a manner as to protect clients as well as public wellness and interests. Overall considerations in handling such duties may be considered to be respect of a client’s autonomy, confidence, and recognition of obligations owed to all clients. While the aforementioned acts fall within the professional realm, there are also legal implications that guide care. Therefore, it can be said that ethical considerations occur in observation of legal responsibilities. Confidential information is perceived as private facts which are disclosed with the
According to Johnson (2012) leaders are powerful role models, and policies will have a little effect if leaders do not follow the rules they set. In Enron case, corruption and ethical misconduct were deeply embedded in their business culture where profitability was more important than ethics. In this paper, I will address the factors that had led to the development of the culture of profit before principle at Enron. Also, I will create my personal code of ethics that will guide me in my professional and personal decision making and doing the right thing when faced with ethical challenges.
This essay will discuss why confidentiality is important within nursing practice and the reasons why a registered nurse and student nurse are accountable and to whom they are accountable to in relation to patient care. It will further discuss patient’s rights in relation to law.
Confidentiality is central to trust between doctors, medical team and patients. Patients have a right to expect that information about them will be held in confidence. The birth of the Hippocratic Oath in the fourth century started the responsibility of physicians to preserve the privacy and confidentiality of their patients. One of the provisions of the Oath lays the ethical foundation for the physician’s duty of confidentiality even beyond the circumstances of medical care. The Florence Nightingale Pledge, which was composed in 1893, was a modification of the “Hippocratic Oath,” a statement of the ethics and principles of the nursing profession. Included in the pledge is to hold in confidence
Is ethical theory useful in day to day life? Do I use ethical theory to make a choice? I will use three philosophers, Alasdair MacIntyre, Jonathan Bennett, and Mary Midgley to assist me in answering these questions.
The intended learning outcome for the CONR 638: Ethics and Conflict Resolution Course offered at Abilene Christine University, (ACU) according to the course syllabus, was to prepare students “to reach a higher critical and reflective consciousness of the relationship of ethics to decision-making and problem solving in conflict resolution” (ACU, 2010). By learning to think on a higher plain, students are placed in a position to better adapt to different alternative dispute resolution (ADR) situations. Learning to think on a higher conscious level also affords the student the ability to apply different ethical theories to practice.
Luke is part of a project that involves developing land recently bought by ABC company to build an adult entertainment retail store. Luke’s brother, Owen lives in the same neighborhood that this land is located. When the plans for the store become public the value of homes in Owen’s neighborhood is expected to decline. Luke knows his brother is thinking about selling his house. Owen has mentioned that, he has thought about even putting his home on the market for sale.
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