Ethical Dilemmas In The Delivery Of Care

One of the main ethical issues that faces health care is the security of patient information. This information is protected by laws and regulations such as HIPPA, but there are still concerns Scott, et al, 2005). Among those concerns is the new concept of electronic patient records and information. These records are designed to help hospitals and doctors get patient information more quickly, so that patients can receive treatment as soon as possible. Unfortunately, anything kept and transmitted on a computer has the potential to be hacked, so that is a serious concern for patients. Not all patients want their medical records to be available electronically, but they may not have too many options (Romano & Stafford, 2010). Opting out may not be an option for them, and if they do have that option it could reduce the speed and quality of treatment that these patients would receive. Do they want to risk that, just so they can feel as though their medical information is better protected?

Healthcare professionals have an ethical obligation to respect patient’s wishes. Consequently, many legal and ethical dilemmas arise in healthcare in response to clinical decisions related to the needs, beliefs, and preferences of patients and families. Other dilemmas result over concerns about the integrity, competence, or actions of other healthcare professionals. Preserving human dignity, relieving suffering, equality, integrity, and accountability are essential nursing values (Kangasniemi, Pakkanen, & Korhonen, 2015). Nurse leaders have an

Nursing means being aware of patient’s beliefs, wants, and backgrounds without holding judgement or enforcing one’s own beliefs onto another. Nurses are supposed to be open-minded and put patients before themselves. In this situation, following the code of ethics in my practice allows me to act appropriately within my scope of practice. Treat the patient without any bias and ensure that they are supported, cared for, educated in their options, and ultimately

Identify and explain two ethical issues/dilemmas in healthcare as identified and discussed in the scholarly literature (ProQuest, EBSCO,

Following the appropriate ethics is of extreme importance in the nursing profession. “Ethics are of universal concern and crucial in all professional healthcare” (Gustafsson & Stenberg, 2017, p.420). The leading goal in nursing is to achieve patient-centered care. According to Arnold and Boggs (2016), “Patient centered care focuses on fully partnering with the client to provide care that incorporates his or her values and preferences to give safe, caring, compassionate and effective care” (p.25). In order to provide a well-grounded, caring environment, nurses need to be able to balance their personal differences with the ethical care standards they are obligated to provide patients (Gustafsson & Stenberg, 2017). Nurses spend the most time with patients; therefore, they eventually will develop a “sense of rightness” (Gustfasson & Stenberg, 2017, p.420).

There are a number of ethical consideration that should be evaluated and implemented when it comes to healthcare research. Healthcare research is conducted in a number of ways, each way different from the other trying to come up with conclusions for specific issues in the industry. Qualitative research method is a research method in healthcare that focuses on explaining problems in their context. Through this method of research data is gathered in its entirety and represented fully. Due to the broad application of the research method and the manner in which the data required is produced, this form of research requires a number of ethical considerations.

Nurses are constantly challenged by changes which occur in their practice environment and are under the influence of internal or external factors. Due to the increased complexity of the health system, nowadays nurses are faced with ethical and legal decisions and often come across dilemmas regarding patient care. From this perspective a good question to be raised would be whether or not nurses have the necessary background, knowledge and skills to make appropriate legal and ethical decisions. Even though most nursing programs cover the ethical and moral issues in health care, it is questionable if new nurses have the depth of knowledge and understanding of these issues and apply them in their practice

While evaluating personal beliefs and values, one must understand how this is incorporated into ethics of nursing. According to Mendes (2015), “Ethical dilemmas are not uncommon in health care. Awareness of personal beliefs, how they affect work situations and how they may potentially affect the way a nurse views a patient, or the patient’s condition and care, is

While visiting my mother in the hospital this past weekend, I was a witness to an event that was quite unsettling. A homeless gentleman, who looked to be about 35 years old, was asked to pay $150 upfront for medical services due to his lack of insurance. The man informed the medical assistant that he was homeless and did not have the funds, to which the assistant responded that no services would be rendered without pay and turned the man away. The man stated that he was experiencing continuous chest pains, which could be an early symptom of a more serious condition. However due to his lack of funds and the fact that he was uninsured he was not permitted to be seen by the doctor.

Pat should have taken the time to show more empathy towards Mr. Sanchez when he was looking for help. Pat was more concerned about getting to the party, she just brushed off Mr. Sanchez. If Pat would have taken the time to get the interpreter before he left for the evening, Mr. Sanchez would have been able to make clear his medical need instead of having to make an emergency return trip. Pat could have easily stopped this from occurring if she was more patient centered care driven.

Ethically physicians are required to provide an appropriate plan of care for all of their patients without insurance bias. The discrimination lies in the fact that most uninsured patients cannot follow the plan of care they have received. The Kaiser Family Foundation found that, “uninsured adults were three times as likely as adults with private coverage to say they postponed or did not get a needed prescription drug due to cost” (2015). This creates problems for both the patient and the hospital/place where treatment was provided. If the patient cannot afford the proper post care, the patient's condition will worsen. The patient will have to decide to either go to the ER or continue on due to the fear of a high bill. The Kaiser Family Found:

This scenario involves multiple ethical issue that is very difficult to be addressed by the health care providers. Since our ultimate goal is to provide optimal care to the patient. Moreover, we care about the entire family dynamic and wellbeing at the same time. I believe it is critical for health care provider to provide a balance between the mother wishes and prioritize the patient best interest by preventing unnecessary harmful procedures. I believe the compromise solution that was reach by the health care provider and the family to have an early Christmas was a great mutual goal. It will facilitate the family coping process and at the same time preserve the patient dignity and comfort.

Everyday, healthcare professionals are faced with ethical dilemmas in their workplace. These ethical dilemmas need to be addressed in order to provide the best care for the patient. Healthcare professionals have to weigh their own personal beliefs, professional beliefs, ethical understandings, and several other factors to decide what the best care for their patient might be. This is illustrated in Mrs. Smith’s case. Mrs. Smith is an 85 year old who has suffered from a large stroke that extends to both of her brains hemispheres which has left her unconscious. She only has some brain stem reflexes and requires a ventilator for support. She is unable to communicate how she wishes to proceed with her healthcare. Mrs. Smith’s children, Sara and Frank have different views regarding their mother’s plan of care. The decision that needs to be made is whether to prolong Mrs. Smith’s life, as Sara would like to do, or stop all treatments and care, as Frank feels his mother would want. In the healthcare field, there are situations similar to this case that happen daily where moral and ethical judgment is necessary to guide the decision that would be best for the patient. The purpose of this paper is to explore and discuss, compare and contrast the personal and professional values, ethical principles, and legal issues regarding Mrs. Smith’s quality of life and further plan of care.

One of the key issues in modern healthcare is not only advocacy and patient care, but keeping patient's safe and free from harm. Globally, there are skyrocketing costs due to technology, wages, research and development, and an aging population. Much of the responsibility for patient safety, though, goes to the clear and direct responsibilities of the many professionals working in healthcare. Modern healthcare can be a rewarding, but challenging, career choice. Under the paradigm of quality health care, modern health professionals should interpret this as "quality patient care" which comprises three important factors sound theoretical knowledge of the latest medical procedures, information and innovations; superior communication skills that are multi-culturally based; and the ability to empathize appropriately with the patient and family to buttress the role of caregiver (Brown 2007).

Varying departments, universities, and private corporations have different ways in researching and determining the ethical components of their programming. These varying elements can influence communities in many different ways. When examining the values associated, and the public health considerations we must take into account the following values, as outlined by the University of Toronto.