Nursing Ethics and Creating an Ethical Dilemma Order Instructions: Details: After reading the Topic 1 materials, complete the questionnaire titled, “My Nursing Ethic.”
Using the reading and the questionnaire, write a paper of 750-1,000 words in which you describe your professional moral compass. As you write your paper, include the following:
1. What personal, cultural, and spiritual values contribute to your worldview and philosophy of nursing? How do these values shape or influence your nursing practice?
2. Define values, morals, and ethics in the context of your obligation to nursing practice. Explain how your personal values, philosophy, and worldview may conflict with your obligation to practice, creating an ethical dilemma.
3. Reflect and share your own personal thoughts regarding the morals and ethical dilemmas you may face in the health care field. How do your personal views affect your behavior and your decision making?
Do not be concerned with the use of ethical terminology for this paper.
Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.
NRS437V.v10R.My Nursing Ethic_Student.docx
My Nursing Ethic
Complete the questions below.
PASSION: Why am I here?
MOTIVATION: What moves me to act?
INSPIRATION: What keeps me in motion?
LOYALTY: Whom do I serve?
Nursing Ethics and Creating an Ethical Dilemma Sample Answer
Introduction
Professional morals include the inner tool that acts as a conscious guide to how an individual behaves in nursing practice. This inner tool is shaped not only by nurse education, but also by the personal, spiritual and cultural values; which in turn are influenced by the worldview as well as the nursing philosophies. Awareness of an individual culture values as well as beliefs is important because it influences a person’s attitudes as well as their behaviours. If individual values and desires conflict with the nursing philosophies, an ethical dilemma occurs. To overcome the challenges posed by these ethical dilemmas are often driven by the person’s inspiration, loyalty, passion and motivation (Gaudine, LeFort, Lamb & Thorne, 2011).
- a) Personal, cultural as well as spiritual value and how they influence my nursing practice
Since childhood, I have been instilled with great values of respecting and empathizing with the human kind. This values have brought me to this far, and they contribute to the worldview as well as the nursing practice philosophy. My main strengths include integrity and respect for the others, which has helped me deliver quality care. My main motivation arises from the struggles that I have experienced to be here, and the love that I have received from my family and God (Jimenez-Herrera & Axelsson, 2014).
This has enabled me to deliver family based care with utmost integrity and responsibility. This has enabled me to remain consistent with my methods, principles and actions. My cultural background has instilled disciplined, hard work and the ability to take responsibility in every nursing practice, which have enabled me to achieve my nursing practice. Showing respect to the patient has helped improved patients dignity and confidentiality, thus improving patient- nurse relationship (Wlodarczyk & Lazarewicz, 2011).
- b) Values, morals as well as ethics as obliged by the nursing practice. How do personal morals or values conflict with nursing practice obligation?
According to the American Association of nursing outlines five essential values in nursing. These include altruism which entails doing good with concerns for others. The other values include autonomy which involves following the patient decisions thus enhancing the spirit of self-determination. The issue of human dignity is critical, and it involves respect of the person’s uniqueness, i.e. appreciating diversity within the population. Integrity value is upheld, which involves being honesty and practicing in accordance of the stipulated code of ethics and the nursing standard of practice. Social justice value is emphasized in nursing practice. This entails upholding equality and to ensure that every person is treated with equality and according to the USA law (Gaudine, LeFort, Lamb & Thorne, 2011).
The moral theories using in nursing frameworks includes the consequence-based theory, which involves practicing activities that judge if the action is moral or not. The utilitarianism which is sequence based, utility framework and the deontological framework which emphasizes on individuals rights, obligations and duties. The relationship based theories includes generosity, stress courage and commitment that natures and maintains proper nurse patient relationship. The nursing morals include autonomy, which is entails observing and respecting the patient decision. This helps in ensuring that the nurses do not disregard the patient’s statement regarding their subjective symptoms. The clients must always give an informed consent to prove that they voluntarily agreed into the chosen treatment approach (Wlodarczyk & Lazarewicz, 2011).
Nonmaleficence is the nurse duty to do no harm. The nurses are obliged to do good and to perform practices that are beneficial to the client. Other obligation includes fairness and justice, fidelity and veracity. The nurses must ensure that they tell the patient the truth and not lie. The nursing code of ethics as established by ANA includes accountability- being responsible for their actions and being ready to accept their consequences of their behaviour. The nurses are expected to be responsible and to perform their tasks as obliged. This implies that the ethical nurses are those who maintain the rationale behind their each action and have the capacity to recognize the standards that must be held (Jimenez-Herrera & Axelsson, 2014).
The nursing practice is a call for people with respect and humility. As a nurse, I am obliged to serve patients with humility and respect. Additionally, I am obliged to follow procedures and all nursing practice values and principles so as to serve the nursing ethical practice. Sometimes may face ethical dilemmas. For instance, in some cases, there are unintentional harms that could occur due to certain types of treatment such as adverse reaction to medication, or the bruising of the client by holding their arms tightly before they fall. This could put me into a big problem with the healthcare facility as they conflict with my principles and the nursing moral values of nonmaleficence. For example, doing good such as advising clients to do strenuous exercise, and then he develop health complication conflicts with the moral obligation of beneficence. The moral obligation of veracity could be an issue, for instance, consider telling the wife who suffers dementia of her daughters diagnosis of cancer. In such situations, the nurses are forced to be economical with the truth (Kim, Han & Kim, 2014).
- c) Reflection on morals and ethical dilemmas faced in the health care
Some of the morals and ethical dilemmas include the social and the technological changes. For instance, the increased growth of consumerism, the large number of the uninsured persons, the increased reconstruction of the healthcare systems and the issue of the health care disparities places nurses at an ethical dilemma. Technology is also facing huge challenges and resistance from the society such as telemedicine to help with cardiovascular diseases. Other challenges include conflicting loyalties as well as obligations between the client, healthcare providers and the healthcare facility. For example, the nursing code of ethics stipulates that nurse loyalty must always lie within the client’s principles, but in this era, the hospitals expect the nurse loyalty to lie with their core values and missions. The issue of the sanctity of life and right for women to control their parity is also an ethical dilemma. The issue of end of life, assisted suicide and euthanasia and terminating life sustaining treatments health issues are controversial (Kim, Han & Kim, 2014).
PASSION: Why am I here?
I have been always been passionate about nursing because the career is rewarding physically and emotionally. There is nothing as fulfilling as stepping into a person low moments and making a difference during their vulnerabilities.
MOTIVATION: What moves me to act?
My motivation comes from the patients and clients to help them gain their health and improve their quality of life. Helping people regain their way of life and person’s life please the Almighty and motivates me to serve patients who are suffering.
INSPIRATION: What keeps me in motion?
My inspiration comes from the biographies of Florence Nightingale and Lady with Lamp story. I am inspired by my spirituality and personal values and believe.
LOYALTY: Whom do I serve?
We are made in God’s image, I serve human beings, and thus I serve God.
Nursing Ethics and Creating an Ethical Dilemma References
Gaudine, A., LeFort, S., Lamb, M., & Thorne, L. (2011). Clinical ethical conflicts of nurses and physicians. Nursing Ethics, 18(1), 9-19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0969733010385532
Jimenez-Herrera, M., & Axelsson, C. (2014). Some ethical conflicts in emergency care. Nursing Ethics, 22(5), 548-560. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0969733014549880
Kim, K., Han, Y., & Kim, J. (2014). Korean nurses’ ethical dilemmas, professional values and professional quality of life. Nursing Ethics, 22(4), 467-478. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0969733014538892
Wlodarczyk, D., & Lazarewicz, M. (2011). Frequency and burden with ethical conflicts and burnout in nurses. Nursing Ethics, 18(6), 847-861. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0969733011408053
