Ethical Issues In Nursing

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.

Humans often struggle to find the right answers in life. Knowing the difference between right and wrong is not always easy and one can be overwhelmed with the problems and ethical issues surrounding them. As a future healthcare professional, it is imperative to understand the role that ethics plays in nursing and how ethical dilemmas impact individuals. There are countless complex ethical issues that confront nurses during their careers and it is crucial they understand where their own values and beliefs lie. Euthanasia, DNR’s, end of life care, privacy, stem cell research and restraints are all great examples of some common ethical issues. “While there are many challenges facing nurses in the work environment (nursing short-age, mandated

Cost of the end of life medical care is too expensive to continue at the rate it is going. The fiscal year 2016 saw 672.1 billion dollars spent on Medicare participants with just 5% using 49% of those monies ("NHE Fact Sheet," n.d., p. 1). The ANA provides a code of ethics that nurses should use to help guide them in clinical practice decision making. There are four fundamental responsibilities for nurses to adhere too they are: promote health, prevent illness, restore health and alleviate suffering. Ethical Principals for nurses are; respect & autonomy, beneficence, justice, veracity, and fidelity ("Code of Ethics for Nurses," 2012). Attempting to keep ethical responsibilities and principals in mind, while conducting a cost-benefit analysis to determine resource allocation for an aging population and end of life care causes many ethical dilemmas.

It is important to understand that when counselors practices in any setting with clients as they interact on regularly bases with other professional’s workers should always conduct themselves in an ethically and legally appropriate manner (Remley & Herlihy, 2014, p.317). Chapter 12 discuses counselors who are in training for private practice and the type of roles those counselors have with other mental health professionals that are supported in their community.

There are several dilemmas in the nursing field though nurses reactions to ethical dilemmas are based on their individual values and beliefs as well as ethical principles, professional codes and the climate of the healthcare setting. Nurses encounter ethical dilemmas when conflicting values and judgments are present regarding what is the best course of patient care. Ethical dilemmas are faced by nurses on a daily bases. I am choosing two of these dilemmas to address.

Ethical issues in nursing will always be an ongoing learning process. Nurses are taught in nursing school what should be done and how. Scenarios are given on tests with one right answer. However, there are situations that nurses may encounter that may have multiple answers and it is hard to choose one. “Ethical directives are not always clearly evident and people sometimes disagree about what is right and wrong” (Butts & Rich, 2016). When an ethical decision is made by a nurse, there must be a logical justification and not just emotions.

Legally all competent patients in Australia have the right to refuse medical treatment as per the common law (Forrester & Griffiths, 2010, p 165). Once a patient has made the decision to refuse treatment this must be respected by the medical officers even if this is not in line with the medical team’s ethics, otherwise the medical team may be charged with battery. Ethics can be defined as a set of moral principles which are derived from an individual’s values and beliefs that govern the individual’s behaviour or the standards of a profession (Koutoukidis et al, 2013, p 34). Ethically the medical team must respect Mrs Hetherington right to refuse treatment. For the enrolled nurse this is also set out in the Code of Ethics, value statement 5 “Nurses value informed decision-making” (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia,

An ethical situation that I was part of was when I was working as a CNA. It was a normal busy afternoon; I was assisting with feeding, visiting with residents, bring residents to the restroom; when on resident came up to me and asked if he could have his Tylenol because he had pain. I told the resident that I would let their nurse know. When I notified his nurse of this resident’s request, the nurse responded by complaining about this individual. The nurse claimed this resident always wanted medication and always asked pointless questions that are a waste of the nurse’s time. I was in complete utter shock the way the nurse responded to me notifying her of the resident’s request. I responded by kindly suggesting to the nurse that it’s our

All health care professionals have ethical dilemmas from time to time and health care administrators have a moral duty to question and address issues in the organization. A Johns Hopkins magazine journal titled, Nursing is hard. Unaddressed Ethical Issues make it even harder is a detailed case study/ current event of nurses struggling in their profession. Nurses have a tough and rewarding job to treat, medicate, educate, and deal with emotional stress for the patients. This type of ethical issue nurses are facing range from not speaking up from short-handedness that affects quality of care to not having enough supply of blood and organ donations. Additionally, when it comes to end-of-life of adults and infants there are standard procedures of handling and communicating to families about it. Nurses are ultimately faced with a difficult dilemma of knowing the moral decision and not carrying out the decision or simply

Nurses face the challenge of juggling both ethical and legal obligations when it comes to patients. To bring to the fore, nurses are legal mandated reporters for adult protection according to Minnesota Statute Section 626.557 (MNDHS, 2016b). Thus, having to report on any person over the age of 18 who is considered vulnerable or has been maltreated (MNDHS, 2016b). Legally, as a nurse, Mrs. Jones fits the criteria to be reported as a vulnerable adult; receiving home care services and having physical disorders, such as the ulcer, that make it difficult for her to care for herself (MNDHS, 2016b). Under provision three of the ANA code of code ethics, as nurses the priority is to advocate for our patients to protect their health and safety (ANA, 2015). Although Mrs. Jones is vulnerable in her situation, following provision three, she is also self-neglecting; threatening her health and safety due to barriers of living alone and health

There are two major ethical dilemma's happened here. The most serious one is nursing possibly with holding proper nursing care from a patient to quicken her death. The second ethical dilemma is a patient holding up an ICU bed that is no longer appropriate for and possibly causing other patients to have unnecessary bad outcomes.

I am Still searching to understand how I insulted a patient. There were no much details on this allegation such as specific patient’s name, room number, scenario etc. Not that they matter at this point but thay could probably help me to remember as well as correct my self movoing forward. I am surprise also that the nurse tech. will be the one to report me instead of the patient whom I insulted. The whole scenario is startling and appeared like a war between two parties- The unit staff against staffing pool staff. I am so pleased were able to make it through the night without harming the patient because such level of negative energy and frustration is definitely unhealthy and unsafe for staff as well as patients. Where is the wake way

Within the profession of nursing, individuals must be highly skilled and educated. Nurses are expected to remain competent and provide the highest quality of care to all patients. In the profession, nurses may face ethical situations that cause them moral distress. For instance, a fellow nurse, who is your best friend, single mother of three young children, steals and consumes narcotics from the pyxis. This is the second time the behavior has been witnessed, however it was not reported the first time due to loyalty to the friendship.

In the first week , I made a report for the Human Resources Division, Pulai Springs Resort . After that , I was sent to the charge of the Golf Division . Golf Division Manager , Ms. Susan incorporated into Part I and Checkout Counter Golf . Two staff members were briefed me on the introduction and explanation on how to perform tasks in Division Golf . The staff on duty must implement practices always treat customers well and full of smiles. This practice will give maximum satisfaction to customers and to maintain the company's good name

- Making choices that are best for the individual or society at certain times and in particular situations and then evaluating such choices and outcomes.