Nursing Ethics

Critically ill patients that require mechanical ventilation are at risk of developing secondary infections that may increase length of stay and possibly even morbidity. This fragile patient population requires special attention and meticulous adherence to established nursing standards of care. These standards of care are founded on evidenced based practices. It is important that nurses receive education about why these standards are in place and what consequences can result due to not following the established care protocols.

As a registered nurse practicing in the state of California I am responsible for practicing within my states legal regulations and nursing scope of practice. My concern for the welfare of the sick and injured allows me to practice ethical provisions of nursing. These are required if I am to carry out competent and effective nursing care. Nursing encompasses the prevention of illness, the alleviation of suffering, and the protection, promotion, and restoration of health in the care of individuals. Therefore, as health care professionals we must be familiar with the different philosophical forces, ethical principles, theories and values that influence nursing. At the same time, we must be respectful to our patient’s

In addition to technical support provided to patients, nurses must address the psychosocial challenges and ethical conflicts associated with caring for critically ill patients and their families. More often Nurses are left with dilemmas when it comes to decision making and trying to up holds the ethics of autonomy, who to listen to, the client or the family? Ethically the patient has the right to choose what’s best for self, but is powerlessness when one is brought to hospital in a critical condition.

Nurses are faced with ethical dilemmas or ethical distress every day, each situation being unique and requiring nurses to set aside their own values and beliefs in order to provide proper care for their patients (Ramos, Brehmer, Vargas, Trombetta, Silveira, & Drago, 2015). Ethical dilemmas allow nurses to learn more about themselves and help shape their morals and values (Potter & Perry, 2014). An ethical dilemma arises in a situation in which no solution seems completely satisfactory (Drumwright, 2012).

Nurses rely on personal knowledge and their professional skills to provide ethical care (Creasia & Friberg, 2011). In everyday practice, nurses must balance the needs of their patients against those of the organization, society and themselves. They strive to deliver the highest level of care for patients, but adjusting for limited organizational and personal resources often requires difficult decisions. This paper explores the following scenario suggested by Maville and Huerta: “You are a nurse providing home care to a mother, and you suspect child abuse after observing the mother’s reaction to her child” (as cited by Arizona State University, 2014). When faced with a moral dilemma, a competent nurse incorporates ethical, bioethical and legal considerations. In the proposed story, incorporating the nursing ethics of advocacy, beneficence, nonmaleficence and collaboration will guide the nurse towards an appropriate and legal course of action.

The purpose of this paper is to conduct an in depth exploration of the nursing care considerations of patients in a specific clinical area. Through the synthesis of prior knowledge, clinical experiences and skills, evidence based best practices, and care of patients a comprehensive care and teaching plan will be composed. Integration of critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills, combined with evidence-based research will provide confirmation of nursing process comprehension. The inclusion of reviewed literature will further support knowledge and understanding.

Fry, M. (2011). Literature review of the impact of nurse practitioners in critical care services. Nursing In Critical Care, 16(2), 58-66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1478-5153.2010.00437.x

The progress of my project to develop a nurse driven sepsis screening tool and an algorithm for implementation on the intensive care unit (ICU) for early identification and prompt treatment of septic patients has progressed remarkably well. I have been productive in gathering current guidelines for sepsis with the aid of my preceptor who is a critical care nurse practitioner on the ICU. With his help, I have been able to assemble key pieces of research to create a sepsis screening tool, and a treatment algorithm with sepsis resuscitation bundles. Extensive research has been conducted to integrate evidence-based practice in my project. I have also spent time with the unit educator, critical care intensivists, and my colleagues in brainstorming and collecting ideas about my project.

41. Jennings BM. Stressors of critical care nursing. In: Thelan LA, Davie JK, Urden LD, et al., eds. Critical Care nursing. St. Louis, MO: Mosby; 1994. P. 75-84.

The focus for the general care nurse outside of the ICU is to be able to recognize sepsis and to initiate appropriate interventions in an appropriate amount of time. Nurses need to facilitate the transfer of the patient to an ICU as urgently as possible. Once sepsis is suspected, it is important to closely monitor patients for signs and symptoms of progression with increasing frequency of assessments. While awaiting transfer of a patient to the ICU

The American Journal of Critical Care (AJCC) is a scientific journal that is provided by the AACN on a bimonthly rotation. The journal’s main focus is evidence-based practice. Its subscribers are able to read about the latest advancements in clinical research relating to treatment of critically ill patients. It regularly includes features highlighting

Nursing ethics shares many principles with medical ethics, such as beneficence, non-maleficence and respect for autonomy. It can be distinguished by its emphasis on relationships, human dignity and collaborative care. In the field of nursing we are often times faced with dilemmas that cause us to walk the fine line of ethical practice and safe judgment. As in any case what must be realized, calculated, and measured is the simple fact that what we do on a day to day basis is protecting that which matters the most. We are the guardians of what all people hold near and

Describe the ethical dilemma that the nurse is facing? Please be specific. What makes it an ethical dilemma?

The author of this paper is a nurse educator working in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) within the north-west region of England. For the purpose of this paper, the author has chosen a systematic review (SR) and a narrative review (NR) and aims to critically analyse these reviews using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool. The CASP tool has been developed by the Solutions for Public Health (SPH) (formerly known as Public Health Resources Unit), which is controlled by the National Health Service (NHS) (SPH, 2006). The tool is based on the guidelines formed by a group of clinicians at McMaster University, Canada

The ethical dilemma is a situation by which it’s difficult to determine whether a situation is can be handled without disappointing both sides. Therefore, an ethical dilemma exists when the right thing to do is clear or when members of the healthcare team cannot agree on the right thing to do. Ethical dilemmas require negotiation of different points of view (potter, Perry, Stockert, & Hall 2011pg 78).