Ethics In Nursing Essay

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

Healthcare provider’s perception and judgment in the patient’s well being as well as taking into account the right of the patient in every action is one of the key elements in nursing practice. International Council of Nurses (ICN), (2006) states “The nurse at all times maintains standards of personal conduct which reflect well on the profession and enhance public confidence” (p. 3). Furthermore, nursing action guided by theory and principles of moral and legal

I learned that as a nurse it is my duty to always consider my own well being, along with my patient’s. I must keep a high moral character both in the workplace and in my personal life. I must continue to educate myself and keep myself up to date with all the latest nursing practices and research. I must subject myself to peer review and evaluation. I must never let my personal feelings about a patient’s lifestyle affect my care for them. When met with a tough choice that places me in an ethical crisis I must keep a good head on my shoulders and always have my patient’s best interests in mind. If I feel that a situation at work is in direct conflict with my personal values or my oath to be an ethical nurse I must go through the proper channels to work through the problem.

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

`Ethics' is defined as ."..the basis on which people...decide that certain actions are right or wrong and whether one ought to do something or has a right to something"(Rumbold, 1986). In relating `ethics' to nursing care, "Nursing decisions affect people... nurses have the power to good or harm to their patients" (Bandman et al, 2002). In this essay, the author will also identify the most important ethical principles and concepts of Evan's case, will outline the different stages of one's approach to ethical decision-making by utilising the "DECIDE Model for Ethical Decision-Making" founded by Thompson et al (2000) and will make a decision on the best course of action to take as a nurse in this

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.

Throughout life, every individual has their own personal morals, beliefs, and values that helps influence and guide the way they choose to live their life and how they interrelate with others. I believe that as a nurse, the morals, beliefs and values that one upholds personally will impact the care provided to not only their patients but their loved ones as well. My personal values include; Altruism and compassion, autonomy, human dignity, integrity/trust and dependability among others. As we each rely on our own morality to guide our way, we as nurses also need to uphold the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics. During the course of this paper I will be discussing how my own personal morals,

Ethical dilemmas are a common incidence in the nursing practice. Many ethical dilemmas can arise in medical settings because of the conflict between patients, patient’s family, and institutions (Black, 2017). Since there are so many situations that are caused within the clinical settings, nurses have to think and make right decisions for patients to be safe by following the Code of Ethics.

Ethical dilemmas are familiar to most nurses, but resolving dilemmas is not an easy task for them. The ethical decision-making framework is a good guide when dealing with ethical dilemmas. Firstly, nurses need to identify issues from different perspectives from all those associated with the issues (McDonald & Then 2014). Above three cases involve with nurses, patients, hospitals and education providers. Each party has different issues such as patients being at risk, nurses not being professional, etc.

Nurses and all other health care professionals continue to be confronted with ethical and legal issues in their daily practice. In order to protect the legal and ethical rights of the patient the health care professional must be knowledgeable about ethical principles (Guido, 2014). Ethics involves the principles or assumptions underpinning the way individuals or group ought to conduct themselves; ethics is concerned with motives and attitudes and the relationship of these attitudes to the individual (Guido, 2014). The healthcare professionals should be dedicated to provide competent medical care with compassion and respect for human dignity and rights (AMA, 2015). Ethical principals are developed for the benefit of patient

Nurses use their personal values, professional values, nursing ethics, standards of practice, and the scope of nursing to care and advocate for their patients. Sue needs to recognize her own personal and professional value system when caring for indigent patients. Cherry and Jacob (2014) describe a value as a personal belief of how one feels, thinks, and actions to take when presented with difficult decisions (p. 171). It is crucial for nurses to recognize how they would act in a particular situation and clearly identify if this action would violate the nurses code of ethics or standards of practice. All healthcare specialists are faced with ethical dilemmas that put strain on professional and personal values but nurses should use the ethical and legislative framework to support their decisions (Inggs & Christensen, 2015, p. 20)

Being ethical as an individual defines who you are and what you stand for as a human being. As a professional nurse, being ethical defines how you treat and behave towards your colleagues and the patients. Nursing`s philosophies and worldviews influences an individual’s personal, cultural and spiritual values they possess as a professional. When these philosophies conflict with personal or cultural or spiritual values, then ethical dilemmas arise. Ethical dilemmas puts a nurse in a limbo as it is very hard to choose between what is right in the best interest of the patient.

Although the code of ethics sound straight-forward and easy to follow, nurses encounter numerous unprecedented situations on a daily basis which compel them to let go off their stand on ethics. Hence, even if the ultimate aim is to follow the best healthcare practices and offer equally good treatment to the patients, these ethics define working attitude for a nurse and also aid in initiating strong decisions in critical

In order to be considered a professional nurse, one must encompass a particular set of values. As a nurse, one of the many goals is to provide quality care for the client throughout the course of treatment. The quality care has varied throughout nursing history and is always being evaluated. According to the 2012 HealthLeaders’s survey, “72% of nurses rank patient satisfaction and experience as one of their top three priorities.” (http://www.healthleadersmedia.com). If the care is not client-centered, patient experience and satisfaction ratings will be lower. The nurse is with patient more than any other medical personnel that is involved and should be receptive to the patient’s needs and cares, all while keeping the patient safe. “Incorporating QSEN competencies in care can also improve the quality and safety of care.” (Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN): The Key is Systems Thinking) In order for there to be both safety and quality care, the nurse should be aware if her working environment shares the same work ethic. “Integrity, altruism, and autonomy are also essential nursing values.” (Pearson pp 2564). Doing the right thing in a situation is a reflection of the nurse’s character and judgment. Displaying altruism is having concern for people and giving of yourself to help them. Protecting the autonomy of the patient ensures that they are informed of their options and are included in their healthcare-related decisions. Incorporating and practicing values like

Nurses and healthcare providers must uphold a patient’s right to make decisions regarding his or her medical care. Competent, informed patients have the right to choose among treatment options and refuse any unwanted medical interventions (Beauchamp and Childress, 2009, p. 103). By providing informed consent and following Pam’s wishes, healthcare providers demonstrate their respect for the autonomy of their client.