Author’s Credentials and Other Information
Connie M. Ulrich, PhD, RN is an associate Professor of Bioethics and Nursing center for Bioethics, Department of Medical Ethics, and Senior Fellow. Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, New Courtland Center for Transitions and Health, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Carol Taylor PhD, RN is the Director for the Center for Bioethics at Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia. Karen Soeken PhD is a Professor Emeritus at the University Of Maryland School Of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland. Patricia O’Donnell MSW, PhD is the director for the Center for Ethics, Inova Health Systems, Fairfax, Virginia. Adrienne Farrar MSW, PhD is the Chief at the Department of Social Work, Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Marion Danis MSW, MD is Head Section on Ethics and Health Policy, at the Department of Social Work, Clinical Center, at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.. Christine Grady PhD, RN is Head Section on Human Subjects Research, and Acting Chief at the Department of Bioethics, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
Type of Research: Quantitative or Qualitative
This research article is a quantitative study. Quantitative studies explain, predict and/or control phenomena through focused collection of numerical, mathematical, statistical, and computational data.
Research Questions or Hypotheses
There was no research question or hypothesis.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study “was to describe the type, frequency and level of stress of ethical issues encountered by nurses in their everyday practice” (Connie, et al., 2010...
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...tients.
Nursing Implications
Nursing implications was to bring attention to ethical issues and sources of stress which are encountered by nurses in everyday practice.
Critique
This journal article was peer reviewed, included exclusion criteria, and offered solutions to problems. It was informative and shed light on ethical issues that nurses face. As emphasized in this article, there is little attention placed on recognizing ethical issues and reducing nursing stress. This article not only informs us of these ethical issues, but provides us with ways in which change can be implemented to solve these problems. However, that being said, because this study only surveyed nurses within the four census regions of the United States (California, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Ohio), other areas of stress and ethical issues could have easily been neglected.
The first provision of the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) “Code of Ethics” states, “ The nurse, in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.” The second provision states, “The nurse’s primary commitment is the patient, whether the patient is an individual, family, group, or community” (Fowler, 2010). As nurses we need to respect the autonomy and allow for the patient to express their choices and concerns. We also need to provide them with support by giving them knowledge and understanding so they
Monaliza, K. R. (2014). Registered Nurses" Experiences of Ethical and Human Rights Issues in Nursing Practice: Frequency and Handling,. Baba Farid University Nursing Journal, 15-22.
The classical term for the word ethics is, moral philosophies that rule an individual’s or group behavior or action. The American Nurses Association used ethics to write the Code of Ethics for Nurses with these values and visions in mind: “(1) As a statement of the ethical obligations and duties of every person who chooses to enter the profession of nursing. (2) To act as the nonnegotiable standard of ethics. (3) To serve as an expression of the understanding on nursing’s commitment to society.” (Nurses Code of Ethics, 2015). With our ever-changing society and healthcare, also comes changes to the American Nurses Association’s
“Ethics is a systematic study of principles of right and wrong conduct” (Taylor, Lillis, Lynn, & LeMone, 2015, p. 96). The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics has nine provisions to it. All nine are important to the nursing field in their own way. There are two provisions that I find most important in helping my career as a nurse. Provision one, The nurse, in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect of the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal, attributes, or the nature of health problems. Secondly provision two, the nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient whether an individual, family, group, or community.
Ethics has been a popular topic in nursing for a long time. Nurses are expected to demonstrate ethical decision-making as well as professionalism. I believe that in order to accomplish this, they need to use the ANA Code of Ethics as framework for their decision-making. It is also imperative for nurses to have a strong understanding of ethics, because they will be faced with many difficult ethical decisions that do not always have a straightforward solution.
Nurses everywhere face problems and challenges in practice. Most of the challenges occur due to a struggle with the use of ethical principles in patient care. Ethical principles are “basic and obvious moral truths that guide deliberation and action,” (Burkhardt, Nathaniel, 2014). Ethical principles that are used in nursing practice include autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, veracity, confidentiality, justice, and fidelity. These challenges not only affect them, but the quality of care they provide as well. According to the article, some of the most frequently occurring and most stressful ethical issues were protecting patient rights, autonomy and informed consent to treatment, staffing problems, advanced care planning, and surrogate decision making (Ulrich et. al, 2013). The ethical issue of inadequate staffing conflicts with the principle of non-maleficence.
Thompson, I. E., Melia, K. M., & Boyd, K. M. (2006). Nursing Ethics: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.
Surveys of Canadian frontline nurses, today, show that issues with intense workload, while ensuring safe patient care are the most significant challenges they face at work on a daily basis (Berry & Curry, 2012). Research shows that a heavy nursing workload adversely affects both the patient and nurse. For example, many Registered Nurses (RN) are experiencing ethical distress because they are not able to
This paper will focus on two BNUR leaner outcomes (University of Calgary, 2013) relevant to my learned understanding of nurses as ethical decision makers. I will outline the ways that I have seen ethics used and not used in practice, what I learned about ethics and its use in my theory courses and throughout my practicums, and I will reflect on how this understanding will translate into my professional practice moving forward.
Burkhardt, M. A., & Nathaniel, A. K. (2014). Ethics & issues in contemporary nursing (4th ed.). Stephan Helbra.
Davis J. Anne Diane Marsha and Aroskar A. Mila (2010). Ethical Dilemmas and Nursing Practice. Pearson
The word ethics is derived from the Greek word ethos, which means character (1). Being moral always fills a nurse with morals respects, guidelines of good judgment and expert lead. There are three essential obligations for nurses, among many other which are the duty of autonomy, confidentiality, and obligation of care to all patients (2). There are professional duties with becoming distinctly legitimate obligations if any law and policies are ruptured in between professional practice. In 2001, a review found that there was an apparent requirement for more guidance on moral predicaments inside the medical professionals, subsequent to expanding legal cases and open request (3). Medical attendants ought to withstand to regulatory law and statutory law while managing the nursing practice.
In every nurse's career, he or she will face with legal and ethical dilemmas. One of the professional competencies for nursing states that nurses should "integrate knowledge of ethical and legal aspects of health care and professional values into nursing practice". It is important to know what types of dilemmas nurses may face
In conclusion, there are numerous legal and ethical issues apparent in the nursing practice. Nurses should study and be as informed as they can with ethics and legality within their field in order to ensure no mistakes occur. Ethical issues vary based on patient’s views, religion, and environment. Nurses are influenced by these same views, but most of the time they are not the same as the patients. As a nurse we must learn to put the care of our patients and their beliefs, rights, and wishes before our own personal
Ethics is defined as moral principles that govern a persons or a group’s behavior, ethical principles apply to both personal and professional relationships (Webster, 2015). The field of nursing is a profession that has been highly regarded and respected in society. Most nurses enter the profession in order to utilize their clinical skills to help others in their time of need. Those in failing health rely on nurses to care for them in their most vulnerable states, and expect a level of compassion and humanity while receiving care. Nurses have an ethical responsibility to their patients, clients, and their community. Compassion, empathy, and integrity are staple characteristics that nurses possess that allow them to successfully perform their