Transcript
ETHICAL DILEMMA IN NURSING
By Student’s Name
Code + Course Name
Professor’s Name
University’s Name
City, state
Date
Shahriari, M. Mohammadi, E, Abbaszadeh, A. and Bahrami, M, (2013 p.1) define Health care ethics and standards as the various values or principles set by a health organization used to guide them in dispensing medical care. It is vital for health care systems to have their ethics and standards set for its smooth operation. However, there are times when dilemma strikes and one is left not knowing what to do Reynolds S and Miller J, (2015 p.38) For instance, I have had an experience where a nurse has persistently expressed incompetence. In one case, she did not record bandaging done on a patient and in other circumstances did not bother to ensure that patients have taken their medication. To make it worse she also twice gave medication to wrong patients. This is dangerous considering the effects wrong medication might subject an individual. For a start, I tried on various occasions to guide her on what was expected of us but she did not take that kindly. In such a scenario, I was torn between choosing public good over my loyalty to colleagues. It is known that in any situation, the typical response from the employee wills is harassment and mistreatment. This becomes more complicated because at the centre of the controversy is a patient who must be protected from such illegal acts and behaviours Kim K and Kim J(2015, p.132) In deciding not to stop a colleague from doing a harmful act I will again be contravening the basic commitment of promoting and protecting the patient's health and welfare.
According to the ICN Code of Ethics 2012, I have a responsibility of promoting a collaborative and respectful relationship with colleagues both in nursing and other fields. It recommends that I should take the necessary steps to protect individuals, families and communities when their health is threatened by a co-worker or any other person Ganz F and Toren O (2015, p.66). As well it expected that I should take appropriate steps to support and guide co-workers to promote ethical conduct.
As well, the ICN Code of Ethics 2012 p. 2, principle one opines that the basic responsibility of a nurse is to provide nursing care to those in need. It asserts that in providing care, it should be from an environment that respects human rights, values, customs and spiritual beliefs of the people in need of care. It requires me to demonstrate professional values such as integrity, compassion, responsiveness, respectfulness and trustworthiness.
In the moral model, five steps will be considered in resolving the dilemma. I will begin by gathering facts about my colleague's incompetence. This step will be guided by the principle of non-maleficence (Edwards, 2009 p.67). During this process, I will seek to get the name of the patient who had been bandaged and details not recorded by the nurse. I will seek to get the patient who had been given the wrong medication and details about the drug he had been given without causing any distress to the patient (Jameton, 1984 p. 89). The decision not to cause any alarm will be guided by the fidelity principle as opined by Steinbauer and Njoroge, (2014 p. 386). Also, I will endeavour to show how some patients have not been taking drugs and were under the care of the nurse. In describing the facts I will try to be as neutral as possible to avoid distortion or overlook.
The second step I will make is to predict the likely scenarios that will occur after my decision. In this step, I will consider the possible outcomes and the possible consequences that may come along with the decision. According to Polit and Beck (2004 p. 285), this step will consider the beneficence principle of ethics.
Thirdly, I will consider my conscience. In this case, if I will have a monologue with myself and seek to know whether if whatever am planning to undertake is right or wrong and analyze its possible benefits. Next, I will question myself whether I will be ready to live by my decisions (Bulgaru-Iliesc, 2014, p.219) I will seek to establish personal reasons why I feel proud about the decision I made to report the incompetence from my colleague. If not, I will determine whether or not being ready to live by the consequences of my decision if it was the best decision to make.
Lastly, I will seek to determine whether I will be ready to tell others why I saw it prudent to take the step. In this conversation, I will endeavor to explain the morals behind the decision Leininger M and McFarland M (2002, p. 61) This will be for scrutiny purpose and I will make them aware that I won't take anything less than the set threshold in the code of ethics and standards.
In conclusion, it is prudent to understand that alongside the scope of the ethical dilemma nurses face, nursing students and those practicing should have the prerequisite tools that may help them navigate through the waters in times of dilemma Pizarro and Bloom (2003, p 103). Whistleblowing should be incorporated into their curriculum so that it ceases to remain a hidden part to be explored while in the field. According to Bandman E and Bandman B (2002 p. 304) Knowledge should be conveyed directed and not from an individual's values and assumptions. For professional practice, nurses should be advised on the best way to handle reporting of a coworker or situations of misconduct from the managers.
Bibliography
Bandman, E.L. and Bandman, B., 2002. Nursing ethics through the lifespan.
Bulgaru-Iliescu, D., 2014. Value and limitations of the Informed Consent. Revista Romana de Bioetica, 12(1).
Cushman, F., Young, L. and Hauser, M., 2006. The role of conscious reasoning and intuition in moral judgment: Testing three principles of harm. Psychological science, 17(12), pp.1082-1089.
Edwards, S.D., 2009. Nursing ethics: a principle-based approach. Macmillan International Higher Education.
Ganz, F.D., Wagner, N. and Toren, O., 2015. Nurse middle manager ethical dilemmas and moral distress. Nursing ethics, 22(1), pp.43-51.
Greene, J. and Haidt, J., 2002. How (and where) does moral judgment work?. Trends in cognitive sciences, 6(12), pp.517-523.
International Council of Nurses, 2012. The ICN code of ethics for nurses. International Council of Nurses.
Jameton, A., 1984. Nursing practice: The ethical issues.
Kim, K., Han, Y. and Kim, J.S., 2015. Korean nurses’ ethical dilemmas, professional values and professional quality of life. Nursing Ethics, 22(4), pp.467-478.
Leininger, M.M. and McFarland, M.R., 2002. Transcultural nursing: Concepts, theories, research and practice.
Pizarro, D.A. and Bloom, P., 2003. The intelligence of the moral intuitions: A comment on Haidt (2001).
Polit, D.F. and Beck, C.T., 2004. Nursing research: Principles and methods. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Reynolds, S.J. and Miller, J.A., 2015. The recognition of moral issues: Moral awareness, moral sensitivity and moral attentiveness. Current Opinion in Psychology, 6, pp.114-117.
Shahriari, M., Mohammadi, E., Abbaszadeh, A. and Bahrami, M., 2013. Nursing ethical values and definitions: A literature review. Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research, 18(1), p.1.
Steinbauer, R., Renn, R.W., Taylor, R.R. and Njoroge, P.K., 2014. Ethical leadership and followers' moral judgment: The role of followers' perceived accountability and self-leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 120(3), pp.381-392.
