Examples Of Ethical Decision Making In Nursing

In the nursing profession, practitioners are faced with complex situations that necessitate a scuffle between conforming the essentials of ethics while contravening the other. As such, nurses are required to learn cases and design plans to face the morals issues for ethical decision-making. Ethics guide health care professionals on what should be done based on principles. The two common models of clinical decision making include intuitive-humanist model and information-processing model although a third model, multidimensional model exists to guide nurses in resolving dilemmas when they arise.

Ethical Dilemma in the Case

An ethical dilemma occurs when there is a conflict of values, principles, or moral imperatives within a situation. In the

The model utilizes a scientific and hypothetical deduction to assist the medical diagnosis reasoning. Nurses use decision trees to numerically assess potential outcomes. Moreover, analytical decision making is also employed to help practitioners in diagnostic reasoning. The physician’s thought process should follow rational logic subject to study until a decision can be made. During such decision-making process, the physician’s experience as well as their ability to recognize situations that impact the process are taken into

The father of the child seeks independent consultation from another physician, who has specific competence to validate the patient care situation. The model also urges nurses to act independently by thinking ahead of situations and adopting preventive strategies to anticipate circumstances although intervention decisions and the recognition of similar scenarios are necessary. Such activities correspond with the hypothetico-deductive or rationalistic analytical model of clinical decision-making. Therefore, using the information-processing model would assist the physician to make informed clinical decision without difficulties in explaining their conclusions.

Resolving the Dilemma Using the Information-Processing Model

In the case, the mother of the child is under the influence of her religion to refuse medical treatment to the child. The father, on the other hand, contradicts the mother’s decision and insists that the child should get medical treatment for meningitis. The physician through clinical knowledge should let the mother know that stewardship entails the responsibility to seek the best interest of the child, which is to undergo a medical treatment because there is no alternative scientifically-proven method that care sure meningitis. The nurse should apply the information gained in the practice regarding the principle of beneficence, which mandates