Ethical Issues in Nursing

Just like any other industry, ethical issues in nursing have become a matter of concern for practitioners. Let us have a look at major ethical issues in nursing.

People in every field are confronted with ethical issues of some kind. However, these ethical issues become high in magnitude and extent when public officials are involved. An industry like health and medicine holds ethics in highest regard due to the involvement of human life. Oftentimes, health care practitioners like doctors and nurses face ethical dilemmas in their professional lives. Although, they are often trained to manage issues of this kind, sometimes, they can have lasting impact on their professional and personal lives. The general awareness among masses regarding their rights during a medical procedure often conflicts with the morals of this industry. This article focuses on some current ethical issues in nursing. Ethical Issues in Nursing Practice Consent and Capacity The Patient Bill of Right adopted by American Hospitals Association states that "a patient possesses the right to be informed of the medical consequences of his or her actions and decisions and refuse treatment to the extent permitted by the law". However, this is true only if the patient is in position to understand the consequences of his treatment. Incompetent, senile patients neither have the correct judgment regarding which treatment is appropriate for them, nor are they in a state of understanding the implications of their treatment. In such case, their willingness to grant or deny consent cannot dictate the course of treatment. Even in case of mentally sound patients, the families of the patients often fail to understand that doctors and nurses are experts about their health than themselves. Denying consent to an effective treatment can cause a patient his life. This issue is becoming graver by day as the population of ailing, aging individuals continue to rise. These individuals are often in a state where they cannot think for themselves and have no one to do it for them. Confidentiality and Autonomy This is another ethical issue erupting from the conflict of patient's rights and professional ethics in nursing job and profession. The Patient Bill of Right makes it mandatory for the medical practitioners to reveal the form and extent of the ailment along with the course of treatment to be undertaken by the practitioners.

However, this law of autonomy clashes with the nursing ethic that the professional should maintain high degree of confidentiality regarding the patient's health and treatment. In certain situations, the patient and his family may not grasp the full consequence of the information provided by the nurse. This may unnecessarily lead to misunderstandings and panic. Although, there is no harm in informing most of the families, some of them are better kept in dark for the interest of patient. Non-Compliance on Part of Patient Oftentimes, some patients seek repeated treatments for the same condition again and again. They end up getting admitted in different hospitals for same condition, without much improvement in their health. More often than not, these treatments options are sought at the expense of tax payers money. In normal circumstances, this is not a problem as every patient has a right to receive best possible treatment for him. However, when the practitioner finds out that the issue is self induced, his personal opinion may cloud his judgment regarding the treatment given to such patient. It is unfair to spend taxpayer's money for the treatment of an individual who knowingly inflicts damage upon his own health. This is one of the biggest ethical dilemmas faced by the nurse practitioners. Ethical issues in nursing industry are somewhat similar to those faced by physicians and other health care providers. Ethical issues in nursing research may be more specific in nature.

Nursing students face a large number of ethical issues, both in their capacity as students and throughout their clinical training. Some issues are specific to nursing, and others are the kinds of issues all students face. Nursing students need to understand these issues, and to know where they can turn for assistance in making these difficult decisions.

Educational Ethics
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Many students, both nursing and non-nursing, have ethical concerns such as cheating or plagiarism. It can be tempting to use an old paper from a former student or to take the answers to a test that is being offered by another class, for example. These kinds of ethical issues can plague a nursing student from the beginning of the educational process until graduation.

Informed Consent
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In the nursing field and clinicals, nurses must secure an informed consent before a procedure is done on the patient. This is true for simple procedures such as IV installation as well as for surgical procedures. There is always the risk that the nurse might not know enough about the procedure to be qualified to obtain that consent. In addition, a nurse might be afraid to ask for consent when told to perform a procedure by the medical professionals instructing the nurse.

Document Forgery
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Forgery is a serious ethical issue. This involves not only copying a signature, but also signing a document without actually completing the process dictated in the paper. For example, a nursing student might be asked to write notes on a chart of a patient that he has not seen. Writing the notes on a chart after the fact also can be considered document forgery. This can cause difficulty in treating the patient later on, and it can cause people to believe the patient was seen at a time when he really was not seen.

Crying Wolf
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Ethical issues can come up for nursing students dealing with patients who "cry wolf," or complain of pain they don't really have. This becomes an ethical issue for the nurse as he struggles to decide whether to report these pains to his clinical trainer or to ignore them as attention-seeking behaviors. He also needs to decide whether these complaints are made for the purpose of seeking drugs, and he needs to know how to identify drug-seeking patients.

Finding Help
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It is important that nursing students remember that their instructors and peers either have been or currently are where they are. This allows the nursing student to discuss the ethical issues and moral conflicts that she might be experiencing. This can help the nurse develop a strong ethical base, and it also might help other nurses in similar situations.

Read more: Ethical Issues for Nursing Students | eHow.co.uk http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_6376956_ethical-issues-nursingstudents.html#ixzz1PKt8j8fWEthical

Issue: Euthanasia

Posted by: Daisy Jane, RNDefinition Euthanasia is derived from the Greek words eu meaning good or well and thanatus meaning death. Thus, euthanasia means good or merciful death. It refers to the practice of terminating a life of a terminally ill patient to relieve him or her from pain and suffering. This practice has been the focus of great controversy for years. Forms of Euthanasia Euthanasia comes in several different forms, each of which brings a different set of rights and wrongs. 1. Active death is brought by an ACT. It entails the use of lethal substances or forces to kill. This is the most controversial form of euthanasia. 2. Passive death is brought about by an OMISSION. It entails the withholding of treatments such as administration of antibiotics or any drugs or intervention necessary for the continuance of life. Switching off the machine that keeps the person alive and withholding the surgery that may extend the life of the person is under this form of euthanasia. Classification 1. Voluntary euthanasia when euthanasia is conducted with a patients consent it isclassified as voluntary euthanasia. This type of euthanasia is often termed as assisted suicide, as the patients decision of killing himself is assisted by the physician. Voluntary euthanasia is made legal in countroes susch as Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxemburg, and the US states of Oregon and Washington. 2. Non-voluntary euthanasia when a patient is unconscious or is still a child and unable to make meaningful choices between living and dying, and an appropriate person takes the decision on their behalf nonvoluntary euthanasia is practiced. 3. Involuntary Euthanasia In cases where the dying patient chooses life but is killed anyway the classification falls under this type. 4. Indirect euthanasia providing treatment that has the side effect of speeding up the patients death falls under this category. This is usually by people as morally acceptable as the primary intention is not to kill but to treat the underlying disease condition. Ethical Arguments on Euthanasia Cons

Those who are against mercy killing have the following ethical arguments: 1. Euthanasia might not be promoting the patients best interests. 2. Slippery slope argument: if voluntary euthanasia were to become legal in countries nationwide, most probably involuntary euthanasia will be committed at a higher rate. Doctors soon may start killing terminal patients involuntarily. 3. Accepting euthanasia means admitting that some peoples lives are more worth than others. 4. Pros 1. It weakens the societys respect for the holiness of life. People have the right to die. Euthanasia causes no harm to others and the state, thus, other people have no right to interfere with it. Euthanasia once made legal can be regulated, thus, preventing the incidence of involuntaryeuthanasia. Allowing a terminally ill patient to die would free the family from financial problems.

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Ethics are at the core of professional nursing practice.

ETHICAL ISSUES IN NURSING - Part 1 INTRODUCTION: Concepts, Values and Decision Making INTRODUCTION: Concepts, Values and Decision Making provides a solid introduction to the fundamental ethical terms and concepts that students and nurses need to know. Through scenarios and expert interviews, it clearly defines justice, fidelity, autonomy, moral distress, and other important concepts in ethical practice. Video also explores the vital role that personal values play in ethical situations and how to best understand and address value conflicts. Program discusses the importance of nurse self-regard and some of the key steps to sound ethical decision making. ETHICAL ISSUES IN NURSING - Part 2 RESPECT: Dignity, Autonomy and Relationships RESPECT: Dignity, Autonomy and Relationships focuses on the first provision in the nursing code of ethics pertaining to respect. Through scenarios and expert interviews, it explores practical ways that nurses can show respect for human dignity and the importance of relationships to patients. Program discusses a patients right to self-determination, the important factors of diversity, and end of life issues. It clearly describes the nurse's role in supporting patient autonomy, informed consent, and the practice of extending respect beyond patients to one's colleagues as well. ETHICAL ISSUES IN NURSING - Part 3 COMMITMENT: Patients, Professionalism and Boundaries COMMITMENT: Patients, Professionalism and Boundaries focuses on the second provision in the nursing code of ethics pertaining to commitment. Through scenarios and expert interviews, it addresses the primacy of patient interests and the nurse's role as a moral agent and advocate for patient. Program also explores conflict of interest issues for nurses and proper actions that can be taken when the wishes of the patient conflict with others. Video explores the importance of collaboration in the workplace and the ethical issue of proper professional boundaries for nurses.

ETHICAL ISSUES IN NURSING - Part 4 PROTECTION: Privacy, Safety and Standards PROTECTION: Privacy, Safety and Standards focuses on the third provision in the nursing code of ethics pertaining to protection. Through scenarios and expert interviews, it addresses the importance of patient privacy and confidentiality, while highlighting the key mandate of HIPAA. Video explores the various ways the nurses can successfully advocate for their patients, including those who might participate in research. This program also covers the importance of standards and review mechanisms and the role of an ethics committee. The challenging issue of identifying and acting on questionable and impaired practice is also covered.

Current Ethical Issues in Nursing Practice in Canada

The ethical issues in nursing practice in Canada go beyond the dramatic current ethical issues normally portrayed by the media. The nurse may experience an ethical dilemma any time two or more ethical principles cannot be met. Nursing practice in Canada requires adherence to the ethical code for the nursing profession.

The question of whether of not to "pull the plug" on life support might make for good drama on television but in fact it is not a situation encountered by the majority of nurses. In these types of situations, there are ethical committees and procedures to follow that require a team approach. In the context of nursing practice in Canada a nurse would never be involved in making such a decision independently. Current ethical issues in nursing practice encountered by most nurses are driven by the social forces of the Canadian society as well as the constantly evolving nature of health care and the professional role of the nurse in the Canadian health care system. Examples include:

Cultural Diversity
A nurse is required to practice with cultural competence and respect cultural diversity, but how is the individual nurse to respond when those practices conflict with the ethical values of the nursing profession?

Not all cultures embrace the ethical value of autonomy or veracity. Indeed in some families the cultural value is to keep information from the patient and the family makes all the decisions. As a cultural norm this is a comfortable expectation by the family and patient alike. In Canada however, this expectation places the nurse in an ethical dilemma because the nurse cannot uphold the ethical principles ofconfidentiality and autonomy at the same time in order to practice within the cultural expectation of the family group.

Issues of Consent and Capacity

The aging population in Canada has increased the numbers of the population that may not have the capacity to make informed choices and consent to care. Without an incompetency declaration how will a nurse know whether the individual is competent to give consent to nursing procedures at any given time?

Patients Who are Non-Compliant

Some patients do not comply with treatment measures and end up being treated repeatedly for the same problem with multiple hospitaladmissions. It may become increasingly difficult for an individual nurse to deliver non-judgmental care if he or she holds a personal value that suggests the client is not deserving of any more service at the taxpayers expense because their health challenges are self induced. These are just examples of some of the current ethical issues in nursing practice. It is not an exhaustive list of the kinds of nursing situations that require nurses to think and act ethically, but these examples do illustrate how important it is for nurses to have a good foundation inethical decision making and ethical theory. The Canadian Registered Nurse Exam tests your knowledge of current ethical issues in nursing practice in Canada by describing situations that present an ethical dilemma or conflict and presenting various options for the correct nursing action in those circumstances. The correct answer will be the one that shows the nurse responding to the situation using principles and values of the nursing code of ethicsfor nursing practice in Canada.