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The provision of healthcare services involves not only high-quality medical procedures and knowledge. Nursing also may include ethical issues under which it is challenging to find the right solution. It implies situations in which possible options may cause psychological discomfort or harm the patient. In this regard, the nurse has several options for how to make a decision, and in general, the effective decision will be the one based on certain guidelines. However, ethical issues are unique for each situation and for each patient, which formulates the complexity. The purpose of the work is to analyze the existing ethical problems and situations and the possible positive outcomes.
The ethical issues faced by nurses involve a variety of aspects. It includes confidentiality, information-sharing, equity, adequate planning, decision-making, and others (Keatings & Adams, 2019). As a rule, an ethical problem is formulated by a situation in which a nurse needs to make a decision from several options. The problem is that each of these options, to some extent, may harm the patient psychologically. In another case, it may cause discomfort to the case, which is contrary to the principles of adequate provision of services. In this context, the nurse should analyze the patient’s condition and characteristics in order to make the appropriate decision. Besides, it is necessary to be based on guidelines if such exist. As a rule, with the help of policies, one can come to the appropriate solution.
In order to more effectively understand the ethical issues that may be encountered by the nurse, it is necessary to analyze the specific situation. For example, a 34-year-old woman is taken to the hospital after a severe car accident and needs to be operated on (NetCe, 2022). However, her two children died in a car accident, and the patient, being conscious, constantly asks about the well-being of the children (NetCe, 2022). It is well known that positive outcomes after complex operations require positive emotions, and stress is unacceptable. In this regard, the nurse needs to decide whether to inform the patient about the death of children before the operation or after.
The problem lies in the fact that both solutions to this issue have the potential to harm the patient psychologically. Thus, if the patient is not told anything about the children but proceeds to the operation, one will experience stress due to the feeling of obscurity. Telling a patient that children are good and telling the truth after surgery may cause irreparable harm during the rehabilitation period. Finally, the results may be negative due to severe stress if the patient is told the truth before surgery. Thus, it seems that the nurse is in an inextricable situation due to the ethical aspect of the incident.
However, there are specific points one can rely on when making a decision. First, it is worth noting that the goal of the moral aspect of the provision of medical services is to ensure a favorable outcome (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2019). Thus, the nurse needs to analyze the patient’s condition and psychological parameters to provide the appropriate alignment. In addition, particular guidelines may inform about necessary actions in case of such dilemmas. It includes written rules that the nurse can rely on when making a decision. The guideline is the most suitable option since the nurse may not be responsible in case of a negative outcome, as one acted according to the instructions. These guidelines are usually built on evidence-based practice, which argues their effectiveness.
Further, it is worth noting that the confidentiality and privacy of the patient is a priority ethical issue for the nurse. It includes efforts to ensure that all information that is unacceptable to be disclosed remains undisclosed (Daly & Jackson, 2020). The criterion for non-disclosure can be both ethical and legal aspects. In other words, some information may be disclosed by law, however, the revelation of such information may cause psychological discomfort or harm to the patient. In this case, efforts should keep such information secret, arguing that it is a matter of comfort for the patient.
A separate group of ethical problems for nurses is those related to euthanasia. It happens when the patient’s condition is hopeless, and the continuation of life brings severe anguish. In this case, the patient oneself may ask for this procedure to reduce suffering. However, in the case of an unconscious condition of the person, such a decision should be made by one’s relatives. Thus, the nurse needs to decide whether such a solution is reasonable and would not be contrary to the will of the patient.
To conclude, the ethical issue for the nurse involves situations in which difficult decisions should be made. As a rule, the problem is that any of the possible options can harm the patient psychologically. In such cases, one needs to analyze the patient’s condition and the specifics of the particular situation. It is formulated by the fact that the appropriate decision is unique for each case. Besides, the nurse can use guidelines that articulate the appropriate option.
References
Burkhardt, M. A., & Nathaniel, A. K. (2019). Ethics & issues in contemporary nursing. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Daly, J., & Jackson, D. (2020). Contexts of nursing: An introduction. (6th ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences.
Keatings, M., & Adams, P. (2019). Ethical and legal issues in Canadian nursing. (4th ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences.
NetCe. (2022). Course case studies. Web.
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