Ethical Issues In Nursing Research

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.

In the world today, smartphones are becoming the “norm”, with basic phones becoming nearly obsolete in recent years. Pairing the overwhelming presence of social media with the rise in usage of smartphones brings to light an entirely new set of problems and challenges regarding patient privacy. According to a 2010 study conducted regarding various boards of nursing, 67% of executive officers surveyed reported receiving complaints about nurses misusing social media (Spector & Kappel,

Although the increasing prevalence of social media use has a lot to offer nurses in their job, it has given rise to some issues regarding the breach of patient privacy and confidentiality (Johnstone, 2016), as is seen in this case study. Presented is a scenario where a student nurse witnesses a fellow student post private patient information on Facebook. The following discussion highlights the required actions of the witnessing student nurse in response to the breach of patient confidentiality and privacy. This is achieved by discussing the immediate and subsequent actions required of the witnessing student nurse. As well as, the national law, national competency standards, code of ethics, and code of conduct statements that apply to this situation. Following this are recommendations to prevent, or limit, further breach incidences.

In the present culture of the United States, social media has had a major impact in American society. It has a profound influence and intertwined itself in almost every aspect of the average American’s life. It ranges from providing updates of location of a person(s), events, and sharing personal moments. Even different industries are utilizing social media as a platform for communication, information, and sales mediums. One industry, the health care field has seen a rise in the utilization of social media. For instance, an emerging population of physicians are using social media apps such as Snap Chat, Facebook, and YouTube to educate, display surgical, and medical procedures while being performed. In contrast, as there are positive aspects of utilizing social media, a negative trait of social media is invading and exposing individual’s privacy. As of recent, a New York licensed nurse had to surrender her nursing license and sentenced to 3 years of probation for “moral unfitness in the practice (Bowerman, 2016).” She took photos with her phone of two unconscious male patient’s genitalia and shared them with coworkers. This has become an increasing issue and as the utilization of social media in healthcare is increasing, many ethical issues are developing. For instance, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was passed for the adoption of a national standard for electronic health care transactions and code sets, unique health identifiers,

Employees within healthcare and anyone who has been a mature patient in recent years have been duly informed of the Health Insurance Privacy and Portability Act (HIPPA), but even more people are more intimately familiar with the social networking site Facebook. Prior to researching the legal and ethical boundaries at it pertains to patient confidentiality in nursing school, many of us thought little of the HIPPA concept and how it applies to each of us as individuals. We can announce to the world on Facebook that I have a lump, please go get a mammogram! We can whine on for ages about our children’s medical problems. We make announcements and call for prayers for our spouses and parents who are ill. We share with our friends and family,

Nancy Spector, whom holds a PhD, RN titles from the University of Wisconsin, distinguishes that most patient privacy violations are due to nurses not taking the time to think before posting and inadvertently putting the patient’s info out for persons not admitted to see it. Spector states “The quick and efficient technology enabling use of social media reduces not only the time it takes to post, but also the time to consider whether the post is appropriate and what ramifications may come from posting inappropriate content.” Nurses should be able to use social media to help further their relationships with patients and co-workers, with the healthy understanding of how to do so wisely.

Conducting quality research requires the researcher to perform within both ethical and legal guidelines. “Ethics is the study of right and wrong” (Houser, J., 2012, pg.50). Ethics provide the avenue for decision making and are guided by the researcher’s integrity. Legal guidelines provide direction to the researcher by specifying what is required by law to conduct research. As a nurse researcher, it is an ethical duty to advocate for patients when incompetent, unethical or illegal practices are observed.

Ethical dilemmas will always be a part of our nursing practice due to such a diverse patient culture. In some cultural groups, religion dictates the care that is given and by whom (Pacquiao, 2016). The purpose of this paper is to discuss an ethical dilemma that I have encountered in my nursing practice and how the dilemma was perceived. Culturally congruent care will also be defined. Describe an Ethical Dilemma Working in obstetrics and gynecology, the patient population is all female.

Relaxation is a necessity in life. The way someone chooses to relax is up to that person. Some people run, some people exercise, some people read a book. Being in a hospital setting can be stressful and some outlets were not possible. A mediation room gives the nurses an outlet.

The most well-known controversial issue about hospital ethics pertains to withholding, or proceeding with, treatment for children. Every day, thousands of children are forced to undergo unnecessary procedures that not only lengthen their lives by a little, but cause them immense pain. Whether or not the child is withheld, or followed through, with procedures is mainly decided by the parents, with little decision from medical staff. Even though a decision is always made, both parents and medical staff are left wondering if their decision was the right one. Wondering if there could have been a better procedure that would have shown a better prognosis. Deciding from what is right and wrong for the patient is the main ethical issue that is flooding hospitals around the world.

An ethical issue I have experienced in my clinical placements as a student of Oral Health is a case in which I was providing a hygiene appointment to a patient of low-risk status. The patient had previously visited a hygienist in their home country but had not been since moving to New Zealand two years ago. The patient presented with teeth in healthy condition only requiring a scale to remove soft plaque. However, near the end of the final appointment they questioned why I had yet to polish their teeth. Their reasoning for the question was that at their old hygiene appointments in their home country, no treatment was complete without a polish. However, I had not included a polish in the treatment plan as polishing only has a therapeutic effect on extrinsic staining, which the patient did not have. When I questioned my supervisor on what to do, they suggested I use polishing paste and “swipe” it over the teeth to make the patient believe their teeth are being polished.

In regards to our roles as nurses, the moral codes and values that govern our ability to effectively deliver propitious and compassionate care to our patients disregarding race, background, differing views, and age are of unconditional significance. The ultimate goal of every healthcare learning facility is to equip future caretakers with the core moral and functional principles that would ensure impeccable performance of the provider down to even the most diminutive echelon. To become caring providers not just in practice, but in who we are as individuals in society. However, with that being said, perfection is something almost ethereal in nature, but throughout our attempt to pursue it, we are able to capture greatness. The issue however

I do agree with you that it is imperative for nurses to know the law that governs their state of practice. Personally, this is something new for me. Having an interest in law and ethics started a couple of years ago for me while I worked in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with many of the 24 and 25week premise and long effects of the care treatment received while in the NICU. Indeed nursing surrounding is bursting with the ethical and legal condition and arrays of nurses indicate a lack of training in this aspect as you mentioned. Perhaps, an avenue to fix this might be encouraging continuing education, hospital in-service, and an upsurge in nursing education programs to increase nurses’ versed knowledge in the law.

The profession I plan to pursue in the future is either becoming a neonatal nurse or midwife. My profession's code of ethics does consist of research because their are always new health issues arising and we must stay abreast of it. On nursingworld.org it says, "The nurse participates in the advancement of the profession through contributions to practice, education, administration, and knowledge development". By this particular code of ethics, as you progress throughout nursing and continuously practice health care; we must learn about what takes on in our field just in case if we ever run into a patient with that condition. Another similar one I found on nursingworld.org is, "the nurse collaborates with other health professionals and the public

Ethical dilemma is a problem without satisfactory resolution.Nurses face ethical dilemmas on a daily basis regardless of where they work., Nurses are faced with ethical decisions that can impact them and their patients. There is no solution to an ethical dilemma.The word ethics is originate from the Greek word ‘character’. Nurses are using ethical concepts in during patients care. Ethical concepts include providing care which is good, correct, and rational. Ethical nursing care is based upon rational science and decision making. The most important concepts which are using in nursing professional are respect for patient autonomy, the duty to act with beneficence; no maleficence; and justice.When nurses faced abortion,she believe abortion is