Ethical dilemmas in healthcare essay assignments
1-which of the following behaviors may be (1) ethical but illegal, (2) legal but unethical, (3) illegal and unethical, and (4) legal and ethical.
A. Working in a clinic that performs abortions
b. Respecting the wishes of a client suffering from ALS that he be permitted to die with dignity and not placed on “breathing machines”
c. Respecting the health surrogate’s wishes regarding termination of life support of her friend
d. Observing a coworker take out two tablets of oxycodone as ordered for pain management for his patient but keeping one for himself, administering only one tablet to the patient.
2-differentiate among the following: deontological theories, utilitarianism, and principlism.
3-what do you think about health-care professionals disclosing information to clients about a poor prognosis, even though the information may cause severe distress.
4-What do they think about health-care professionals disclosing information to clients against family wishes?
5. You see a colleague use another nurse’s password to access the medication administration system and take out a narcotic. What would you do?
6.Your colleague’s child fell and was brought to the emergency department. She comes back up to the unit and tells you that they cleaned and debrided the wound, and she needs to change the dressings twice a day using a wet to dry method. You see her go into the supply system and remove the dressings and saline using a patient’s identification number. What would you do?
7. You are caring for a patient who has a terminal disease. He asks you if he is dying. Would you tell him? If yes, how? If no, what might you say? .
8-You are administering hydromorphone to a patient. The patient asks you what you are administering. Would you tell the patient about the medication?
Ethical dilemmas in healthcare essay assignments
Values and Ethics
Questions of Values and Ethics
Introduction
In the Beginning…
There were no antibiotics.
There were no ICUs.
There were no CT scanners or MRIs.
There were just physicians and nurses who cared for people in sickness and in health.
1960s
Technological advances allowed for the development of the ICU.
New biomedical developments
Advances in surgical techniques, such as open heart surgery
New Questions
The advances created new questions for health-care professionals regarding the use of technology.
The concepts of life and death
Bioethics
A subdiscipline of ethics
The study of medical morality
Concepts of Ethics
Values
Belief systems
Morality
Value Systems
A set of related values
Intrinsic values
Extrinsic values
Personal values
Professional values
Value Formation
Values are learned.
Values change with maturity and experience.
The number of values an individual holds is not as important as what values he or she consider important.
Values Clarification
Choosing
Prizing
Acting
Belief Systems
These are organized ways of thinking about why people exist within the universe.
Their purpose is to explain such concepts as
Ethical dilemmas in healthcare essay assignments
–Life and death
–Good and evil
–Health and illness
Ethics and Morals
Morals
Morals are an individual’s own code for acceptable behavior.
They arise from an individual’s conscience.
They act as a guide for individual behavior.
They are learned.
Ethics
Ethics deals with the “rightness” or “wrongness” of human behavior.
Concerned with the motivation behind the behavior
Bioethics is the application of these principles to life-and-death issues.
Ethical Theories
Deontological
Teleological
Principalism
Ethical Principles
Autonomy
Nonmaleficence
Beneficence
Justice
Fidelity
Confidentiality
Veracity
Accountability
Autonomy
The freedom to make decisions about oneself
Nurses need to respect clients’ rights to make choices about health care.
Nonmaleficence
Requires that no harm be caused to an individual, either unintentionally or deliberately.
Requires nurses to protect individuals who are unable to protect themselves.
Beneficence
This principle means “doing good” for others.
Nurses need to assist clients in meeting all their needs.
–Biological
Ethical dilemmas in healthcare essay assignments
–Psychological
–Social
Justice
Every individual must be treated equally.
This requires nurses to be nonjudgmental.
Fidelity
Loyalty
The promise to fulfill all commitments
The basis of accountability
Confidentiality
Anything stated to nurses or health-care providers by clients must remain confidential.
The only times this principle may be violated are
–If clients indicate harm to themselves or others
–If the clients give permission for the information to be shared
Veracity
This principle implies “truthfulness.”
Nurses need to be truthful to their clients.
Veracity is an important component of building trusting relationships.
Accountability
Individuals need to be responsible for their own actions.
Nurses are accountable to themselves and to their colleagues.
Ethical Codes
These are formal statements of the rules of behavior for a particular group of individuals.
Ethical codes are dynamic.
Most professions have a “code of ethics” to guide professional behavior.
Virtue Ethics
Focus on virtues or moral character.
View helping others as charitable or benevolent.
Organizational Ethics
Focus on the workplace.
Ethical culture makes a difference.
Senior leadership must promote an ethical culture.
Ethical dilemmas in healthcare essay assignments
Ethical Dilemmas
Occur when a problem exists between ethical principles
Deciding in favor of one principle usually violates another.
Both sides have “goodness” and “badness” associated with them.
Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
Using the Nursing Process
Assessment
Planning
Implementation
Evaluation
Approach to Ethical Dilemmas
Current Ethical Issues
Issues to Consider
Assisted suicide
Technology issues
Gene therapies
“Designer babies”
Organizational climate
Conclusion
An issue is not an ethical issue for the nurse unless he or she has been asked.
Always gather the facts prior to decision making.
Consider your personal beliefs and values.
Ethical dilemmas in healthcare essay assignments
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