Ethical Principles – Controversial Healthcare Situation
As a nurse practitioner, this case presents me with controversial choices, and hence, I have to apply ethical principles to help this couple make a decision. The patient does not want any more treatment but instead wants to be enrolled in hospice services and comfort measures. I will use the ethical principle of autonomy, giving the patient the ability to make decisions about their healthcare independently (Rosenberg, 2021). I will advise the couple that it is up to the wife to make the decision. The second principle I will utilize is beneficence, which requires the nurse to do services that benefit others (Rosenberg, 2021). I will ensure that the patient gets the best hospice treatment to give her the comfort she desires. The final principle is justice, which ensures impartiality in providing care (Rosenberg, 2021). I will listen to both arguments before deciding to advise the couple. Do you need help with your assignment ? Contact us.
I will use the first provision, which will help me to demonstrate compassion for the dignity and the attributes that this patient has; the second provision, which will demand that I advocate for the patient’s rights; the third provision, which gives me the authority to make decisions to concerning patient care, the fourth provision, which requires me to promote safety and health of the patient, and finally, the fifth provision which requires me to maintain an ethical environment that will ensure a quality and safe care (Haddad & Geiger, 2020). However, I may have to compromise with these provisions when trying to solve this ethical problem. Even though I have to provide optimal care to the patients, I must also decide what aligns with the patient’s demands.
References
Haddad, L. M., & Geiger, R. A. (2020, September 1). Nursing ethical considerations – StatPearls – NCBI bookshelf. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526054/
Rosenberg, S. (2021, April 28). Four core ethical principles in nursing. Southern New Hampshire University – On Campus & Online Degrees | SNHU. https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/2018/05/ethics-in-nursing
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Question
Ethical Principles – Controversial Healthcare Situation
As a student nurse, one of your first assignments is with an elderly client. As you are helping with her care, you hear a discussion between this senior woman and her husband. She says that she does not want any more treatments and instead wants only comfort measures and to start services with hospice. Her husband shares that he doesn’t think that is a good idea. Both of them turn to you and ask, “What do you think?”
- Describe three ethical principles associated with this controversial healthcare situation.
- Explain how five of the nine provisions of the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses relate to and could impact your decision on how to respond to this family.