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Person centered nursing
Ethical issues regarding patients
Ethical issues regarding patients
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The second issue that I identified, relates to autonomy or self-determination. I struggled with labelling this fundamental concept in the social work discipline. My first blatant encounter with this issue occurred during the week of September 14th while I was attending a vigil. The patient was actively dying and requested that his spouse turn on the television. Initially she refused, she feared that it would agitate him and prevent him from resting. Since the patient was diagnosed with cancer rather than dementia, I felt that he was aware of what he was asking for and knew what he wanted. I directed by questions towards his spouse, because I did not want her to feel like I was trying to override her rules. I asked her if he normally watches …show more content…
In which health care professionals have instituted “client-centered” or “person-centered” practices in their medical practice. According to the Medical and Health Service Act of 1985, health care providers must provide quality care “ based on respect for patient self-determination and integrity,” (Ekelund, Dahlin-Ivanoff, & Eklund, 2014, p.118). The authors of the article address the issue that self-determination for older adults often have little to no control over their decision making. They are often influenced intentionally or unintentionally by other’s opinions. Therefore, the authors address the discriminatory feelings that others have towards older adults, especially those who have lost control over their bodily or cognitive functions. It is important to be aware of these issues of discrimination in order to remind providers of their professional values and legal responsibility to treat the patients with respect and integrity (Ekelund et al., …show more content…
In which health care professionals have instituted “client-centered” or “person-centered” practices in their medical practice. According to the Medical and Health Service Act of 1985, health care providers must provide quality care “ based on respect for patient self-determination and integrity,” (Ekelund, Dahlin-Ivanoff, & Eklund, 2014, p.118). The authors of the article address the issue that self-determination for older adults often have little to no control over their decision making. They are often influenced intentionally or unintentionally by other’s opinions. Therefore, the authors address the discriminatory feelings that others have towards older adults, especially those who have lost control over their bodily or cognitive functions. It is important to be aware of these issues of discrimination in order to remind providers of their professional values and legal responsibility to treat the patients with respect and integrity (Ekelund et al.,
This ethical scenario presents an 86 year old female with numerous health issues and chronic illnesses. Mrs. Boswell’s advancing Alzheimer’s disease makes it extremely difficult to initiate dialysis, leading her physician to conclude a poor quality of life. The ethical dilemma portrayed in this case is between nonmaleficence and autonomy. Health care workers should focus on promoting the patient’s overall wellbeing and weigh the benefits and risks of the course of action, while also considering what the family declares they want done. Since the patient is deemed unable to make decisions, the goal is to collaborate with family, assess patient quality of life, address prognosis, and establish realistic care goals.
In conclusion, every patient is worried about their rights to care but not so much are focused on the rights of the physicians providing the care. It is hard to establish a respectable practice if you are required to perform care for instances in which you object or do not want to be a part of. This detracts from the ethical background of practice and procedure every physician should hold to the highest standard.
Ethical issues are “moral challenges” facing the health care profession (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, p. 127). Ethical issues is a major concern in the healthcare field because healthcare providers observe ethical issues every day and have to make ethical decisions. Advance directives are written documents that addressed an individual’s medical care preferences. These documents usually take effect when patients no longer can make informed health care decisions for themselves. While these documents are helpful to loved ones and health care providers, there are a number of ethical considerations that can make the development and execution of advance directives difficult (Llama, 2014). This author is a geriatric nurse that recently observed an advance directive ethical issue in the clinical setting. The purpose of this paper is to outline the steps of ethical decision-making within the seven steps for the framework. This paper will also identify the facts of the case from the perspective of each person impacted by the situation and identify which ethical principles were involved in the situation.
This essay will focus on one of these principles which support service users in having a voice and being heard. It will show why it is important for care workers to give services users the opportunity to have a voice and communicate their views and preferences together with the ability to convey their fears and concerns without being judged or discriminated against.
If an older individual is not given the proper care in an assisted living home, it will damage the well being of the individual. “Resident independence with ADLs
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political, and bioethical reasoning. Inside these connections, it is the limit of a sound individual to make an educated, unpressured decision. Patient autonomy can conflict with clinician autonomy and, in such a clash of values, it is not obvious which should prevail. (Lantos, Matlock & Wendler, 2011). In order to gain informed consent, a patient
Dementia patients must have the right to participate in all decisions concerning their care. Every person in this world has the same equal rights, no matter the situation. Doctors, caregivers, nurses, and even family members brush off the request of the person suffering from dementia each and every day. Most people call this carelessness while others call it freedom and in all reality, it is far from freedom. Luckily, there are many people who fight for the freedom everyone deserves. The majority of "Health professionals are usually keen to keep people with dementia at the center of decisions. Independent advocacy can support this by giving the extra time and skills needed to help people have a voice without the tensions of any other role"
The term “ageism” is not easily understood by most of the population because of its acceptance as normal behavior due to the ingrained attitudes that most people develop in their youth, but health care workers must fully embrace the term within their profession in order to avoid becoming a contributor to the historical prevalence of prejudices and discrimination. The term ageism is defined by Klein and Liu (2010) as “the discrimination of individuals based solely on age” (p. 334). “Ageism is a social construct that is internalized in the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of individuals” (Klein & Liu, 2010, p. 334). Robert Butler, a well-known gerontologist, coined the term “ageism” citing that the discrimination and prejudice associated with this term is often based on the lack of a person’s experience with older people (Ferrini & Ferrini, 2013, p. 6). Ferrini and Ferrini (2013) refer to the strong influence that cultural beliefs and attitudes as well as a person’s current age influence the perception of aging (p. 6). Everywhere within society there are influences that encourage ageist attitudes such as media conveyances through movies, books, television, greeting cards, magazines and the Internet (Ferrini and Ferrini, 2013, p. 6). These negative connotations related to growing older begin to influence all people at a very young age and therefore impact their attitudes as they make career decisions. This has directly impacted the number of health care providers who specialize in geriatrics as well as the attitudes of those who do provide services for older adults. These false perceptions and negative attitudes are currently impacting the q...
Discrimination in health care is an ethical issue focused on age, gender, income, chronic illness, and ethnic disparities. Discrimination occurs when a group of individuals are highly favored above another, either consciously or not. In Carolyn Clancy’s speech, she addresses this issue of “It makes a difference in people’s lives when breast cancer is diagnosed early with timely mammography; when a patient suffering from a heart attack is given the correct lifesaving treatment in a timely fashion; when medications are correctly administered; and when doctors listen to their patients and their families, show them respect, and answer their questions” (Clancy, pp. 3). It is very interesting to see that knowing is able to cure treatment, but minorities especially blacks face breasts cancer in the worse manner due to not having the right resources for treatment. Whether the issues of direct or indirect discrimination occurs, these actions affect the lives of working Americans and their right to receive quality healthcare. In a the research article it mentioned that, healthcare providers’ assessment and treatment decisions are based off their feelings about patients, which is usually influenced by patients’ race or ethnicity. (Nelson, pp. 5) Relationships between race or ethnicity and treatment decisions are complex, they are usually influenced by
Attitudes are the foundation of quality of care for older adults. Among health care professionals, discrimination and stereotypical behaviors are very prevalent, even though more often than not these individuals do not realize their actions are ageist. “Ageism hinders people from seeing the potential of aging, anticipation their own aging, and being responsive to the needs of older people” (McGuire, Klein & Shu-Li, 2008, p. 12). Attitudes are directly correlated with how individuals age and whether individuals stay health and live longer (McGuire, Klein & Shu-Li, 2008, p. 12). The care that older adults receive from healthcare professionals is directly influenced by that provider’s attitude about growing older. All too often, health care providers rely on a patient’s chronological age rather than their functional age when determining their needs and what interventions are prescribed. Another issue lies in providers viewing the complaints of older patients as a part of “normal aging”, therefore potentially missing life-threatening problems that may have been easily resolved. “Age is only appropriate in health treatment as a secondary factor in making medical decisions, and it should not be used as a stand-alone factor” (Nolan, 2011, p. 334).
In this essay, the position I will argue is that it is not ethical to allow an elderly white man to discriminate against African American health care professionals from entering his home. The African American race is a recognized minority in the United States representing only 13.1% of the population (US Quickfacts). Compared to the Caucasian population holding 77.9% of the population, African American’s are in the minority (US Quickfacts). With the knowledge that the African American race is a minority, they are less represented. Using three outlets to support my position, I will make a case against racial discrimination in a health care environment, specially the elderly white man’s home. First, I will use laws and policies that have been passed to protect against racial discrimination in the United States. Second, I will reference moral teachings to illustrate how legal standing can be supported in ethical decision-making. Lastly, I will argue my position against racial discrimination in a private social environment, such as this elderly man’s home. Through these three examples, I will defend my position that it is not ethical for the elderly white ...
According to DeBrew, author of “Can being ageist harm your older adult patients?” stereotypes and discrimination are evident in various aspects of patient care. “Ageism [is] defined as stereotyping or discrimination aimed at older adults and a lack of knowledge about normal changes of aging and presentation of illness in older adults (. . .)” (DeBrew, 2015). DeBrew (2015) states, “research findings suggest that ageism is common in healthcare” (DeBrew, 2015). Ageism is not only an issue in the healthcare setting, but also among older adults as well as their families. When ageism is present in the healthcare setting it poses
Determination is a quality that makes a person continue to try, to do, or to achieve something that is difficult. It is a person’s overall drive to never give up and continue striving towards a desired goal. If I was asked to describe myself in one word, I would choose determined. Throughout my life I have had many experiences where my determination has helped me fight through tough times. By having this quality it has helped me to win a girls bowling IHSA state title, be an all-state athlete, and also continue my goals for my education. Determination is important to me because I need it to achieve my goals and reach my highest potential. Determination starts with the decision to go for the goal and to make the commitment to attain the goal. Determination is also the continuous driving force to overcome the obstacles on the way to the destination. It focuses the mind on the end result. It strengthens the will to carry on, to arrive at the destination.
Health care providers are faced with bioethical issues every day when caring for a wide variety of patients. Bioethical principles are outlined in order to help these professionals provide the best possible care for their clients. The first principle focuses on the autonomy of individuals. This is the foundation of “informed consent” that is required before performing any medical care on a patient. The patient must completely understand the benefits and risks associated with any medical acts and make their own decision. The second principle states that no intentional harm or injury to the patient can result from the medical decision. This principle of nonmaleficence helps set standards of care to prevent wrongdoing. Beneficence is the third bioethical principle that states that it is the responsibility of the health care provider to benefit the patient. The fourth bioethical principle refers to justice and that each patient is treated with fairness. Every patient is entitled to impartial medical care to ensure the appropriate distribution of goods and services (McCormick, 2013). These bioethical principles help guide health care professionals when making difficult decisions related to controversial topics and practices.