NR452 Assignment: Major Challenge In The Practice Of Nursing

Ethical Practice
Student’s Name
Institution
Ethical Practice
Introduction
Ethical practice is one of the issues identified under of assurance of a safe and effective care environment (NCSBN, 2014). This paper focuses on ethical practice as a major challenge in the practice of nursing. A key responsibility of nurses is the identification of the ethical issues affecting the members of staff as well as patients. In addition, nurses have the responsibility of informing affected clients and staff members about ethical issues and how they can affect client care. For example, a patient may ask a nurse to carry out something unethical, like assisting them in suicide or provide information about the diagnosis of another patient. In this case, the nurse has the responsibility of informing the patient that they cannot carry out their wishes because of both ethical and legal reasons. It is thus evident that ethical practice is an importance issue in nursing. This paper examines various aspects pertaining to ethical practice in nursing.
Importance
The patient population depends on the adherence and honesty of nurses to the ethical standards. It is important for a nurse to develop trust with patients while showing empathy and compassion. Ethical practice is a critical component of the profession. It plays an important role in the maintenance of patients’ dignity and protection of patients’ rights. Engaging in ethical practice enables nurses to create an environment of respect and trust between patients as well as healthcare professionals. Working together with other healthcare professionals is important for nurses in order to promote quality and safety of patient care. It is through ethical practice that harmonious relationships are maintained between and among these parties.
According to Ulrich, et al. (2010), nurses are faced with numerous ethical problems in patient care. The authors point out that it has become difficult for nurses to engage in ethical practice because of the complex moral pressures and choices they face as they carry out their duties. Amidst these concerns, they have to uphold the moral virtues, principles, and duties that guide the profession. It is deducible that it is important for nurses to be aware of all ethical dilemmas that characterize the profession. This puts them in a better position to make an ethical decision when faced with a situation that requires so. Ethical practice is thus important in helping nurses serve patients better while upholding and responding the ethical codes of the practice.
Given the significance of ethics to the practice of nursing, it is essential for nurses to understand the codes of ethics pertaining to the profession. In addition, they have to be aware of scenarios in the past that demanded an ethical decision. This puts them in a better position to carry out their duties effectively. It is evident that a detailed ethics code is necessary for nurses to deliver the responsibilities as required. Without these, it will be difficult to provide a fair and equitable treatment to patients. Lack of laid down guidelines will limit the ability of nurses to preserve patients’ rights such as confidentiality, dignity, and autonomy. Ethical practice thus forms a major component of the nursing profession.
Patient Population
There exist a number of human conditions that require nurses to uphold ethical practice. Abortion is one of such condition, and it may raise ethical and moral issues. A concern emerges since it puts the patient’s autonomy in danger. This is the case where the nurse considers abortion as murder. This is thus a sensitive issue that may require laid down guidelines on how nurses can approach them.
Another issue in ethical practice relating to the patient population is confidentiality. The private information of patients are required to be kept confidential unless they have provided consent to release it. Given the closeness of the nurse and the patient, personal information is likely to be shared. If such information is not protected, the trust in the patient-nurse relationship is put in jeopardy. As noted by Rao (2008), educating and providing patients with adequate information about the realities of informed consent is essential before subjecting them to any procedure.
Cultural considerations are essential before making ethical decisions. Nurses serve the patient population that is made up of individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. The different cultures have different believes regarding the conditions that raise ethical concerns in the practice of nursing. For example, different views may be held about abortion or issues pertaining life-ending illnesses. Some of the cultural beliefs may thus raise ethical dilemmas for nurses. The nurse may be torn between respecting the customary beliefs of the patient and following the standard procedure required in the profession. Going against the beliefs of the patient endangers the patient-nurse trust that may have been created. In addition, the personal and cultural values of the nurses may influence their ability to carry out their responsibility. As seen, there exist cultural values may influence the ability of nurses to engage in ethical practice.
Proposed Solution
Given the significance held by ethical practice in the profession, finding a long-term solution to the concerns is necessary. The solution for the concerns lies mainly in the code of ethics for nurses. While they may provide the ethics foundation for the nursing practice, nurses may face moral dilemmas as they carry out their daily duties. The code of ethics may not provide for the specific ethical dilemma that nurses face in practice. In addition, it is critical for nurses to be aware of the influence of cultural values in their practice.
The solution for the ethical concerns facing the practice lies first in supporting the code of ethics for nurses. The American Nurses Association (ANA) provides a detailed ethics code that guides the nursing practice. It is essential for nurses to be familiar with every element of the ethics code as provided by ANA. According to Slate (2015), the ethics code provided by ANA covers the commitments and values of the nurse, boundaries of loyalty and duty, and the duties beyond individual patient experiences. The nine provisions of the ethics code play an imm...