Nursing Ethics Case Study

Due to the negligence of the nurses the patient might have died. To prevent this the education should be provided to the patient regarding the legal and professional issues. This is because, the nurses have minimal knowledge on legal and professional issues. It is very important to upgrade their knowledge and participation of nurses in decision making is important so that they would think critically

According to provision 4 in lecture, the nurse is responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice. After the new RN observed the nurse who was having difficulty focusing, legally the supervisor nurse was not following provision 4. The nurse was not demonstrating correct actions that he/she was responsible for and was not being accountable for her actions. It is stated that “The recognition of accountability for actions is the cornerstone for a profession because of the implied social contract with the public” (Lachman, 2009, pg.57). The nurse was demonstrating actions that are unfit and could lead to potential harm.

Those nurses unwilling to comply with monitoring after a positive drug screen would be terminated from employment. Conclusion The nursing profession is guided by the principal of nonmaleficence, or “Do no harm”. Nurses are responsible for maintaining and optimizing a patient’s quality of life. When nurses fail to care for themselves, they also put their patients at risk. The patient has a reasonable expectation to receive safe and competent care.

One of the most important principles for a new nurse is to develop the adherence to patient safety and advocating for the patient. Shawna appears concerned for her patients, realizing how the current unit staff do not seem to care for their patients’ safety as she does. She is also concerned because the staff and herself seem to be overworked and understaffed. She does indeed have a right to be concerned, since “Workload can be a factor contributing to errors” (Carayon & Gurses, 2008). One thing she might consider is seek help by taking her concerns to the hospital’s director for patient safety.

Whether they are aware of it or not, nurses are becoming more and more involved in making ethical decisions regarding their patients. However, the doctor’s policy always rules over the nurse and the patient’s wishes must always be respected. The consequences of not being heard by fellow co-workers or having your plan of action overruled by other policies can often be frustrating and upsetting for a nurse. While there is no data that directly connects the effects of moral distress and the quality of care nurses give, it can be inferred that the feelings of moral outrage, frustration, and anger cause nurses to care for patients in a less effective way. A nurse who is at conflict with him/herself and those that surround him/her will experience difficulties in treating a patient with the best care.

Is a compromise available? First of all, the nurse would argue that until Consuela is completely informed, Consuela cannot, in the context of discharge planning, be an eligible caregiver. Consuela cannot give informed consent to care for Carlos because she has not been given all the information necessary to make a properly informed decision. To allow her to take care of Carlos without disclosing his HIV status would be deceitful. Any professional caregiver assigned to care for him would be informed, and would also be adequately trained in standard precautions.

Health care professionals have a duty to exercise beneficence towards their patients. Nurses have a more stringent obligation to act according to the benefi... ... middle of paper ... ...ay arise between health care professionals, nurses, and the patient and family. Most often, when an ethical dilemma occurs, nurses most make a choice between the two equally unfavorable alternatives. An example of an ethical dilemma would be a client who refuses to take their blood pressure medication however based on autonomy they have the right to. The nurse may not be able to follow the principles of beneficence and autonomy at the same time because respecting patient autonomy means the nurse is not able to fulfill the obligation to “do good” for the patient.

The nurse may face unreasonable workloads from the acuity of the patients, behavioural issues, elopement risks and the patient nurse ratio. As a result of these situations ultimately leaves the nurse in an ethical dilemma when it comes to the use of physical restraints. Unfortunately, they may feel that this is the only option to manage patient safety during times of increased workloads or being under staffed. Researchers suggest the nurses experiences with ethical issues lead to moral distress through patient and family behaviours, nursing shortages, and unrealistic expectations of care(Oh & Gastmans, 2015). Unresolved moral distress can result in the loss of concentration of the nurse when making ethical decisions that ultimately have a negative impact on how they think, feel and make future decisions.

Although she did not have a advanced directive, she informed her family that she did not want any extensive measures to lengthen her life. At one point the healthcare team was deciding whether to place her on life support. What raises concerns is what she considered extensive measures (Hentz, 2003). In this situation the healthcare provider and nurse may develop a moral distress. A moral distress is a marvel experienced by nurses and doctors when they feel that there is a distinction between what they feel should be done and what they are capable of doing.

Studies show that nurses who are mistreated by their coworker with more power are more likely to mistreat the patients. Not only should the patient be treated with respect, but so should the nurses who work under doctors who abusive their authority. Generation after generation, times are improving while others are still living with past habits and behaviors. Some health care workplaces are still living in the past by allowing doctors to abuse their power towards nurses who work "under" them. Not realizing the effects they have not only on the nurses, but on the patients as well.