Ethical Principle Application in Nursing
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this task is to explore how nursing ethics, self-advocacy, and professional accountability can be applied in clinical practice. Using the provided case scenario, you will be required to think about how ethical concepts can be used to make clinical decisions and explore the differences in personal and professional beliefs. You will develop personalized stress management plans that rely on the use of adaptive coping strategies to ensure personal health and well-being.
SCENARIO
You have been working as a nurse in the adult oncology unit for the past year. You have developed a close relationship with many of your patients, but Mr. Newcomb has a special place in your heart. He has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and has undergone aggressive chemotherapy. Each day his wife come to the unit to be with her husband. They have been married for over 40 years and share a deep lov
Mr. and Mrs. Newcomb have made the decision to no longer continue with treatment and have decided that hospice care is needed. Over the past few days, you have watched Mr. Newcomb's health decline, and you can tell from your experience that he does not have much time left to live. Mr. Newcomb has been very open about discussing his death, and you have had the opportunity to learn about his life and the legacy he will leave behind.
While you are completing your rounds, you stop in Mr. Newcomb's room to see how he is doing. You ask, "ls there anything else I can do for you?" Mr. Newcomb has rarely asked for anything, but today he has one request. Mr. Newcomb states, "Before I die, I would like to see my mistress one more time. Mrs. Newcomb is always here. Do you think you could tell her that I will be busy for a few hours tomorrow so I can make arrangements to see my mistress one more time?"
Reflect on the following questions before you begin working on this task:
- What would you do in this scenario?
- How can your knowledge of ethical principles be utilized to determine your response to Mr. Newcomb?
- How would this affect you as a nurse and direct provider of care for Mr. Newcomb?
RGP Task 2: Ethical Principle Application
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Response to Mr. Newcomb’s Request
On reading the case, my mind flared with the idea that I would not participate in such dirty work of helping a man cheat on his wife even though there is a probability that it might be beneficial for his state of mind. However, on reading the case more calmly, I decided that I would be professional and kind when rejecting Mr. Newcomb's request. I would apologize to him, kindly turn down the request, and explain that lying to his wife is against my professional, ethical code. If he wants to see his mistress, he should engage his wife to talk about it. I would further make him understand that doing such a thing in secrecy might harm him more than good. Finally, I would tell him that the only way I can help is to bring him a card that clearly states the visiting hours so that he can plan for the meeting.
Application of Ethical Principles to the Scenario
Mr. Newcomb has the right to make his own decisions under the principle of autonomy. Autonomy is whereby the nurse must recognize the patient's right to decide on their health and well-being (ANA, 2017). Here, the nurse should ensure that they give adequate information to their patients so that they can weigh their decisions based on the information. Regarding this ethical principle, Mr. Newcomb has the right to decide whether to continue treatment and who he wants and does not want to see. However, in his decision, he should not involve the nurse in any form of malice and lying that would jeopardize their professional ethics and values. The nurse should portray kindness and compassion and do everything for the patient's benefit under the principle of beneficence. Beneficence is whereby the nurse should treat the patient with care and compassion to promote their healing and well-being (ANA, 2017). In the scenario, the nurse acts for the good of Mr. Newcomb, showing him the utmost compassion and care. The nurse's goodwill and concern should not be taken for granted, such as when Mr. Newcomb asked for a favor that does not align with the professional values a nurse should have.
The nurse should be fair and just when dealing with their patients, under the principle of justice. Justice entails fairness in all decisions regarding patient care (ANA, 2017). In the scenario, the nurse portrays fairness by fulfilling all her responsibilities towards Mr. Newcomb despite his age or condition. The nurse should perform interventions that do not hurt or danger the patient under non-maleficence. Non-maleficence is when the nurse performs interventions that cause little to no harm to the patient and optimizes on those that cause a faster recovery (ANA, 2017). In the scenario, the nurse ensures that everything she does aims to facilitate Mr. Newcomb's recovery. Everything, including her response to the patient's request, should not harm the patient.
Personal Beliefs and Values
To be an effective nurse, one must embrace values that promote ethical and meaningful patient care. One personal value that influenced my response to the scenario is Integrity. Integrity means being fair and honest and having moral principles and values that count (Schmidt & McArthur, 2018). As a nurse with Integrity, it would have been wrong and very demeaning for me to help Mr. Newcomb lie to his wife about seeing his mistress. Lying and secrecy are not in line with my moral values and belief that a nurse must always be honest.
Another value that...