Ethical nursing; patient abandonment It is important to first understand the difference between law and ethics. Ethics examines the values and actions of people. In nursing, ethical issues arise daily. There are issues such as death, dying, birth, abortion, genetics, quality of life, and general human rights. Laws on the other hand are binding rules of conduct.
Nurses have a legal liability to advocate for patients, and provide safe administration of medications, and provide quality, nursing care to patients without negligence. The ANA code of Ethics requires that Nurses do no harm. New regulations in nursing practices can create situations of conflict between ethical nursing practice and the law. Nurses need to follow the law. Nurses need to keep themselves cognizant of changes in the nurse practice acts and how they are affected by these changes.
I will be able to understand that the interests of the patient are primary in my career. I will need to include the patient in the planning of care provision and ensure that there is no conflict of interest, enhance collaboration and create professional boundaries at all times. I will be keen on bringing in key professional traits from the American Nurse Association’ code of ethics. One of the key traits is being responsible to the public and as such I should be aware of any health threats to the public (Reed, 2006). The second trait is the facilitation of a healthy work environment based on moral virtues and values.
The nurse in this situation has an obligation and responsibility to the patient as their advocate. In Title 16, Section 1443.5(6) of the California Board of Registered Nursing Standards of Competent Performance states that the registered nurse “Acts as a client’s advocate…to change decisions or activities which are against the interests or wishes of the client…” (California Board of Registered Nursing, 1995). Therefore, the registered nurse must interfere in behave of the patient and have Dr. K honor the Advance Directive that is in place. The second situation which the nurse encounters is Dr. K disclosing medical information regarding the patient to Ms. H and the boyfriend in the waiting room where several others are present. Ms. H was not assigned Medical Power of Attorney by the patient; it was assigned to Mr. Y who is the patients’ younger sibling.
When informing the power of attorney of the patient’s condition she also failed to mention the advanced directive and its details, leaving Mr. Y unable to make an informed decision and resulting in a medical intervention that the patient did not wish for. The impact provisions 2.1 would have on the nurses decision making is, the nurse would have made the patient top priority and ensured she advocated for him by informing the physician and power of attorney that Mr. E has an advanced directive that states no ventilator and no CPR ensuring that his wishes were known and followed. The key ethical implication that arises in the case study of Mr. E is one of violation of patients’ rights. A
Making an Ethical Decision in a Critical Situation Heather Collins #281111 Western Governors University Nursing Roles and Values September 1, 2012 Making an Ethical Decision in a Critical Situation A state regulation that was used in the case study would be Privacy and Confidentiality 483.10 (e). The State of Idaho, states a nurse needs to keep all patients records confidential. HIPAA protects an individual’s medical records and health information from unauthorized release. The nurse may not give out information about a patient to unauthorized individuals. Implications Confidentiality means if Mr. E does not want to give permission to discuss his condition to other individuals that are not permitted, then the healthcare team needs to respect him.
Ethical Health Care Issues Paper Jennifer May 05, 2014 HCS/545 Ethical Health Care Issues Paper As health care providers, we have a duty to perform our job following the rules and regulations laid out to us by the nurse practice acts provided by each state. The professional duties include the balance between competency in skills, and application of ethics that will help promote the provision of the quality of care to the public (Harris, 2008). However, as a healthcare professional, there are many ethical health care issues that are encountered with patients. A major ethical issue that often arises is the refusal of receiving blood products when deemed necessary by medical staff because of certain religious beliefs. This ethical issue often arises with patients who belong to the religious group called Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Legally, hospitals and staff should do what is in the patient’s best interest. According to Smugar, Spina and Merz (2000), “a physician who does not inform a rape victim of her options to help avoid pregnancy violated the obligation to act in her best interest and violates her right to give an informed consent to treatment.” Thus, violating the patient’s right to autonomy; referring to the right of a person to choose their own plan of action, and justice; the right of treating every patient in a fairly manner and giving them all the information needed for them to make an adequate decision. However, if these rights were to be denied for any reason, then justice has been violated (Bodenheimer and
The patient is a minor and may not comprehend the severity of her diagnosis. The nurse as an adult needs to tell the parents so that the patient does not experience harm. The principle of autonomy is another principle that I would use to justify my position in this case. Autonomy is the ability of a patient to give informed consent and make their own decisions (University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, 2008). Because this patient is a minor she is not mature enough to understand all of the implications of her diagnosis and treatment.
Our decisions must be guided by our conscience, morals, our professional responsibility, our responsibility for dose we care for, and our responsibility to the organization we work for. Critical decision making or critical thinking is the key to ensure high quality patient care, reduce adverse outcomes, and improve patient safety and satisfaction (Benner, Hughes, & Molly, 2008). Works Cited Anderson, L. (2014, February 11). Understanding the Different Scopes of Nursing Practice. Retrieved from NurseTogether Web site: http://www.nursetogether.com/understanding-the-different-scope-of-nursin Benner, P., Hughes, R. G., & Molly, S. (2008).