As nurses we often deal with ethical dilemmas in our everyday clinical practice; and as professionals we have the responsibility to analyse and examine any ethical problems that may arise. Any decision should be based on ethical principle that protects both the patient and the health care provider. So what is an ethical dilemma? It is a problem without a satisfactory resolution. The ethical decision-making lays in the fact that very different ethical choices regarding the same ethical dilemma can be made resulting in neither choice being a “right or wrong” decision.
Healthcare Ethics Case Study Abstract Today’s healthcare professionals are immersed in an ever-changing environment. The advent of managed care, a variety of medical practice arrangements, and a multitude of healthcare specialty areas have resulted in the continual need to understand health care law. Health care workers are faced with tough decisions that require ethical considerations. The case of Jerry McCall, an Office Assistant that received professional training as both medical assistant and a licensed practical nurse (LPN), is an example of a situation that caused a dilemma. Jerry was accused of a medical malpractice because of prescribing a refill without the authorization of a physician.
Individual's approach to this difficult stage of life may be very different from considering it as the beginning of a new life through fear up to denying. Disregarding person's attitude towards what is happening to them they need help in many ways. From mine, care assistant's point of view the most important aspects of end of life care are: psychological and spiritual support (if requested), basic personal hygiene, supporting with eating and drinking and meeting continence needs. Another one which does not belong to my duties is administering proper medication which is basically pain reliefs. I work in a care home on two nursing units where very often I have to take care about terminally ill patients.
ETHICAL ISSUES IN PALLIATIVE CARE Ethical issues arises everyday in palliative care because it involves patients, their families and clinicians. This is inevitable because of individual differences. What is deemed as morally correct for each individual may be vastly influenced by their values, culture, religion or even their perceived obligations. According to World Health Organisations (1990), palliative care can be defined as: “The active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment. Control of pain, of other symptoms, and of psychological, social and spiritual problems is paramount.
HSC 34 1.1 My understanding of duty of care is ensuring the wellbeing and making sure the residents are safe in my care. To make sure we provide a daily personal needs for the clients/ service users according to their daily needs by following their care plans 1.2 By protecting clients health , wellbeing and clients and stuff rights and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. By provided with the required training need to, to do the job right. 2.1 Is dilemmas when the client refused to have a wash/bath every time and it end up in conflicts between me/carer and a client where i have to explain the important of higyne and what might happen if they don’t have their bath. To make sure they agree to what they have to do i have to make sure they understand the important of what they have to do and why they have to and asure them that I will be able to assist in anyway they need to be assist with.
Her son William visits often, bringing her shopping, although he is finding this very difficult due to her repetitive conversations. This assignment will discuss the psychological, social and cultural needs of Betty and how these can be meet within health and social care practise. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) 2008) states that as a professional you must treat people as individuals, respecting their dignity, maintaining confidentiality and must not discriminate against them in any way. This includes working with other professionals to promote the health and wellbeing of those under your care and protecting the interests of patients. As stated by Rana & Upton (2009) nursing staff are obliged to act as an advocate in assisting patients to access relevant health and social care support, as well as voicing their needs and concerns, on their behalf.
Six Step Process with an Ethical Dilemma Nurses face ethical dilemmas on a daily basis anywhere they practice. In nursing an ethical dilemma can be caught between conflicting duties and responsibilities to your patients, your employer, and to yourself. There is no right answer to an ethical dilemma. As a nurse when finding yourself in an ethical dilemma you ask yourself “are you supposed to do what is right by your employer, but is it right? Or did you help the patient?” As a nurse you want to help the patient in every situation.
In Patricia Benners ‘The Primacy of Caring’ she explores this universality of Caring and how important it is to communicate that you care to the people around you, not just patients. This is important, however it would be folly not to recognise the “importance of communication and interpersonal skills in providing good quality patient care” (Clark,D.J. 1998, pg 143). It has been an old truism that it is not what you say but how you say it. “If we take seriously the idea that caring is the future of all healthcare…it is not that we care which is moral, but how we care” –Marks-Maran (1997, pg 87) I feel that is why communication is so important to nurses.
Ethical Self Assessment Health care management fields, networks and systems have consistently changed since all began. An important part today’s business world is Ethics; this also applies to the health care field as patient’s information is a sensitive area. The American College of Health care Executives (ACHE) demonstrates the the organization’s commitment to ethics and support the ethical decisions made by its members (Ache's commitment to, 2014). This assignment requires a self-assessment of an individual’s ethical decisions within the health care industry, and the effects of the decisions made by the author during the evaluation process. It can be stressful for one to look at the results of a self-assessment test and see areas that need improvement.
Reading about this case made me think of the ethical challenges that caring for members of faith who refuse life-saving treatments may pose for the physician – emotional, professional, and legal. Considering the ‘Duties of a Doctor’ outlined by the GMC (2), as a physician it will be my responsibility to preserve life and health by employing all techniques available to me. However, I will also be obligated to respect my patients’ autonomy and rights to make decisions about their own medical care (3) and the refusal of such. And this is where the ethical principles of