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Reflection on ethical decision making
NASW Code of Ethics study
Reflection on ethical decision making
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I feel I am equipped with the necessary knowledge to make ethical decisions with my clients. I understand my values and beliefs, so when it is time to formulate the an ethical response, I am able to sit my values and beliefs aside and do what is best for the client, NASW code of ethics, the employer and others who may be involved. I also understand that many times supervisors and or corporate will also help in determining the proper ethical decision with clients. Here at my field practicum there is an ethics handbook and it goes into great detail about the residents rights and their right to refuse care. With continued education and mandatory educational credit hours, I will be sure to stay updated with the current ethical dilemmas and situations that may arise in the area of ethical decisions.
I feel that I am somewhat prepared to communicate orally and in writing with individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities and colleagues. I believe there is always rom for improvement for me when it comes to people skills. I would like to take some workshops or complete professi...
However, I have learned to improve my communication skills and relationships through communication courses. Prior to enrolling in communication
Nurses everywhere face problems and challenges in practice. Most of the challenges occur due to a struggle with the use of ethical principles in patient care. Ethical principles are “basic and obvious moral truths that guide deliberation and action,” (Burkhardt, Nathaniel, 2014). Ethical principles that are used in nursing practice include autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, veracity, confidentiality, justice, and fidelity. These challenges not only affect them, but the quality of care they provide as well. According to the article, some of the most frequently occurring and most stressful ethical issues were protecting patient rights, autonomy and informed consent to treatment, staffing problems, advanced care planning, and surrogate decision making (Ulrich et. al, 2013). The ethical issue of inadequate staffing conflicts with the principle of non-maleficence.
At first, I believed that a patient should have the say so and get what they demand. I didn’t feel sympathetic for the health care provider one bit. I was able to look through the eyes of a physician and see the trials that they have to go through. It is not easy making the decisions that they have to make. There job is based on decisions, and most of it is the patient’s. “There will certainly be times when I will be faced with a request from a patient or patient’s representative that I will personally find morally difficult, but one that is still legally and ethically acceptable. must be very difficult to work in an area with little control over what you want to do.” (Bradley 1). Even though I do not fully understand a health care providers everyday role, I do know that they are faced with painful options. I personally feel that I can not work in this field for that exact reason. Health care providers play an extremely important role in our society, and others need to look upon
Working with people can be challenging, but so rewarding all at the same time. As humans, we are certainly not perfect and we are making mistakes daily. Making decisions is one thing that does not come easily to us, and depending on the day you can get multiple different answers to one situation. The NASW Code of Ethics is an extremely helpful tool when we are working with clients and something that does not ever waiver in ethical decision-making. If we are working in the Social work profession, then we must insure we are making the correct decision for everyone who is involved with the client.
During my Duke of Edinburgh expedition I succeeded in communicating well with people that I did not previously know and was able to motivate others under time pressures to be able to get back to the camp before dark. I am a very hard worker and always like to help others. Although I believe I am very independent, I also flourish when working with a team. During my work experience at Concord Youth Centre I worked well in a team and led a group of youths from the community to prepare and present a presentation about community cohesion. Before the presentation I first had to advise and present my knowledge to the young people. My presentation and public speaking skills, as well as my confidence, has grown and developed during my time at sixth form. I am a very confident speaker as further shown through my participation in a Conference against FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) at which I read and presented a poem. I also love acting because it allows me to express myself and present important messages to lots of people and express my feelings through
In the medical profession, doctors and nurses run into ethical dilemmas every day whether it be a mother who wants to abort her baby or a patient who has decided they want to stop cancer treatment. It is important for the nurse to know where they stand with their own moral code, but to make sure they are not being biased when educating the patient. Nurses are patient advocates, it is in the job description, so although the nurse may not agree with the patient on their decisions, the nurse to needs to advocate for the patient regardless.
In my ethics class, I was taught on different principles regarding to decision-making. Nursing school has taught me different issues that I can face in my career. One of the biggest ethics issues I learned about is patient confidentiality. We will never disclose any information to unauthorized personnel without patient consent. We have an ethical obligation to patient confidentiality and not to breech this. In clinical and class, while we discuss our patient, we do not use any of the patient’s names. When we talk about our patient, we do it in a close private room and not in the hallway where everyone can hear. As a graduate professional nurse, I need to be aware of patient confidentiality and other ethic issue in order to maintain the
An ethical dilemma is defined as a mental state when the nurse has to make a choice between the options and choices that he or she has at her disposal. The choice is a crucial task as the opting of the step will subsequently determine the health status of the concerned patient, hence it requires a great deal of wisdom along with proper medical and health training before any such step is opted as it is a matter of life and death. Strong emphasis should therefore be on the acquisition of proper knowledge and skills so that nurses do posses the autonomy to interact with patients regarding ethical issues involved in health care affairs and address them efficiently. It is normally argued that nurses are not provided sufficient authority to consult and address their patients on a more communicative or interactive level as a result of which they are often trapped in predicaments where their treatments of action and their personal beliefs create a conflict with the health interests of the patient. (Timby, 2008)
The ethical issues that are being faced in nursing facilities are privacy, group living, and independence. Elders like to consider themselves independent while they still have their motor skills and ability to do things without any help or assistance. If someone takes away their independence, then the elders would feel helpless and feel they cannot do anything like they used to. Privacy is one of the most important meanings to the elders. They deserve the respect and dignity. Group living is having all the patients together and sees how they adapt to one another while dealing with their medical
Knowing what I can do well is just important as knowing what needs improvement. My strongest attributes are being able to perform under pressure and multitasking. This is necessary to sell products and perform services that benefit the customer. The value of getting the job done correctly and on time correlates to returning customers and repeat business. My competitive advantage over others in the same industry is the high level of service we offer. I don’t just push a product on a client. I listen to what they want and need, make suggestions for the best available solutions; and I also help them with cost savings and environmentally friendly alternatives. One weakness I have and need to work on is public speaking. As I grow in my career and move into managerial leader positions, I will have a lot more opportunities to give speeches. I plan to work on my public speaking skills by practicing and making incremental changes to constantly improve. It’s not a matter of being shy in front of a group. It’s more of a point to be well prepared for the occasion and motivated to do a good job. To stay prepared for opportunities and change, I plan on continuing my education in the business field, and learning as much as possible about my job. I will also need to stay up-to-date with current issues in my external and internal
Nursing ethics has a vast spectrum of subjects. The history of ethics was around way longer then the declaration of specific ethical issues. According to Fox, Myers and Pearlman (2007), the field of ethics consultation has been developing over the last three decades, (Kosnick 1974; Rosner 1985). Ethics has become an organized and accepted division of healthcare services. Gallagher (2010), discussed the purpose of nursing ethics is to help us think, speak and perform better in our practice. The Nursing Code of Ethics was addressed by Lachman (2009). “Futile care” is discussed by Sibbald, Downar, Hawryluck (2007). Ball (2009) addressed the need for clarification of DNR orders in surgery patients.
Ethics is a key component of nursing. Nurses take care of people when they are often at their most weak and vulnerable points. Nurses are the component of the health care team that spend the most time with the patient, they are often the one that will first identify the physical and emotional needs of their patients. Nurses have a unique influence over their patients, thus a need for integrity within a moral and ethical framework is imperative to give those patients the appropriate physical and emotional support they require. The American Nurses Association (ANA) has a code of ethics written “as guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession”
Another huge ethical topic is the patient’s right to choose autonomy in the refusal of life-saving medicine or treatment. This issue affects a nurse’s standards of care and code of ethics. “The nurse owes the patient a duty of care and must act in accordance with this duty at all times, by respecting and supporting the patient’s right to accept or decline treatment” (Volinsky). In order for a patient to be able make these types of decisions they must first be deemed competent. While the choice of patient’s to refuse life-saving treatment may go against nursing ethical codes and beliefs to attempt and coerce them to get treatment is trespass and would conclude in legal action. “….then refusal of these interventions may be regarded as inappropriate, but in the case of a patient with capacity, the patient must have the ultimate authority to decide” (Volinsky). While my values of the worth of life and importance of action may be different than others, as a nurse I have to learn to set that aside and follow all codes of ethics whether I have a dilemma with them or not. Sometimes with ethics there is no right or wrong, but as a nurse we have to figure out where to draw the line in some cases.
When reading the opening lecture I cringed at the thought of dealing with communication. Sort of that belly ache feeling you get when you had to do an oral presentation in front of the class in elementary school. I understand have a number of strong qualities but self-image and my perception are still traits I long to improve.
This reflective essay has critically reviewed my personal and professional skills that are essential for communication and developing positive relationships with others. It has discussed the skills identified in the skills audit that I needed more confidence in for communication and effective relationships. It has finally linked two communication theories to both skills