Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Importance of ethics in health care delivery
Ethical issues in medical care
Ethical issues in healthcare
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Importance of ethics in health care delivery
Introduction
This essay explores the ethical issues that arise on the delivery of healthcare delivered to a client. One of the expert abilities for nursing states that medical attendants ought to "integrate knowledge of ethical and legal aspects of healthcare and professional values into nursing practice". Medical attendants have an ethical and professional responsibility to assess and continually evaluate restraining a client as "doing good or harm" to minimize restraints for clients in their care. This essay will firstly discuss of ethical issues that have been lied behind the scenario, secondly ethical perspective and an alternative perspective of the issue, thirdly it will discuss of human dignity and right, professional code and conduct,
…show more content…
Client safety is a primary role of the nurse, but the use of physical restrains with clients is an ethical issue when other important ethical principles such as autonomy and non- maleficence, as well as nurse's code of ethics, are considered (Schenker, Fernandez, Sudore, & Schillinger, 2010). In this scenario, Sam is agitated and physically aggressive with Camilla, a nurse. So, the medical team reviewed him and suggested to restrain and Julia, team leader of nurse advice Camilla to restrain and focus on care of other patient and states that patient like Sam is waste of time and they don't have enough staff to worried about him. In this general scenario, it shows that health care staff lacks understanding of the genuine requirements of restorative administrations sharpens which is imperative to shield patients from abnormal limitation. Furthermore, restriction ought to be considered if all else fails and specialists ought to consider elective mediation to advance security and regard the respect of the individual.(Kerridge, Low, & McPhee, 2009). However here in this scenario, medical team and nurse including team leader left Sam on physical restraint without supervision avoiding harm. Therefore, it clearly depicts the ethical issues …show more content…
In other hand nurses, performing one of their priority duties of maintaining client safety must utilize physical restraints, like side rails, to limit client movement in order to accomplish this task (Butts & Rich, 2015). However, the paternalistic utilization of physical restrictions without patient's educated assent is ethically unjustifiable and is an unequivocal infringement of their independence (Schenker, Fernandez, Sudore, & Schillinger, 2010). The obligation to regard individual autonomy ought to be reached out to an obligation to regard the autonomy of patient who is being controlled. Just along these lines can their human respect, right, and personal satisfaction be improved (Johnstone,
Nurses are required to protect and support their patients if they are to be an efficient patient advocate. Ethically questionable situations are quite common for nurses that conflict with their professionals and personal morals. At times, the patient necessitates the nurse to speak out for them demonstrating
One cannot fake being a nurse, one must be extremely genuine in order to perfect being a nurse; therefore, explaining why nurses enforce and value their code of ethics. The purpose of the code of ethics is to ensure patient safety and implement standard of care by following the nine provisions of ethics. The nine provisions explain the nurses’ responsibility while caring for a patient; for example, maintaining the rights and autonomy of a patient. Another point that the provisions highlight is being the patient advocate, nurses are in the front line of patient care and they must protect their patients. An important guideline that the nine provision emphasize is the need and requirement for nurses to continue with their education to promote beneficent and to avoid maleficent. The National Nursing Association (ANA) states that the nursing code of ethics “reiterates the fundamental and the commitment of the nurse” (Lachman, Swanson, & Windland-brown, 2015). The purpose of this paper is to highlight the obligations and duty of a nurse and why it is important when attempting to maintain standard of care.
The decision to restrain a patient is in most cases left to the nurses. Other professionals such as occupation therapists and mental health counsellors are not consulted. A research on nurses’ decision-making process on physical restraint outlined that one of the themes associated with nurses decision making is personal thoughts and reason (Goethals, Dierckx de Casterlé and Gastmans, 2011, p.1200). This shows that most of the time nurses restrain the patients without consulting other professionals who might have had a better solution in handling the
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.
Todays healthcare environment is demanding for nurses at a time when there is a critical shortage of staff to meet the multifaceted needs of patients. Ethical issues can occur in any healthcare situation where profound moral questions of the patient’s rights exist. Nurses everywhere have long struggled with ethical challenges in patient care, but it has become difficult for nurses in all parts of the world to practices with integrity amidst moral choices and pressures that nurses confront. According to one article in the demographics are reported no or low stress which is associated with the staffing pattern that creates the most ethical stress. About 80% felt confident that they could justify their ethical decision and nearly two third felt prepared to deal with ethical issues. About 44% nurses are frustrated and about 57.5% are overwhelmed. Nurses are constantly facing these ethical issues every day of the year. One of the reasons why it’s happens is do to facilities shortage of staffing. Those facilities that have insufficient staff it is hard to meet the ethical standard of professional practice.(Ulrich2513)
In this essay the author will rationalize the relevance of professional, ethical and legal regulations in the practice of nursing. The author will discuss and analyze the chosen scenario and critically review the action taken in the expense of the patient and the care workers. In addition, the author will also evaluates the strength and limitations of the scenario in a broader issue with reasonable judgement supported by theories and principles of ethical and legal standards.
In an article written by Samantha P. Ziglar, BSN, RN, she describes the main purpose of restraints through her eyes in the medical field. Ziglar states that at least one in every four patients will be restrained at least once, that’s 79.715 million people in the United States (Population). “Specific reasons include fall prevention, limiting wandering behavior and preventing dislodging or interference of therapeutic devices, and controlling violent or agitated behavior” (Ziglar 1). Ziglar emphasises the growing problem among restraints; improper use among nurses. “Patient safety should be every nurse’s top priority; therefore, nurses need to have a thorough knowledge base of the risks and benefits of using physical restraints” (1). As a result of what a nurse needs, restraints are required to succeed in his or her profession, making their patient as safe and comfortable as possible. The purpose of restraints as a whole is to provide patient protection. Ziglar lists the pros and cons of the use of restraints. Some major
Nursing surrounds the concept of patient care physically, mentally and ethically. The therapeutic relationship that is created is built on the knowledge and skills of the nurse and relies on patient and nurse trusting one another. The use of nursing skills can ensure these boundaries are maintained, it allows for safe patient care. Professional boundaries are the line that nurses cannot cross, involving aspects such as patient confidentiality and privacy, ensuring legal aspects of nursing and the boundaries put in place are not breached. However, nurses accepting financial or personal gain from patient can also cross these professional boundaries. It is only through education in this area that the rights of patients can be preserved, as well as the nursing standards. Through education in areas such as confidentiality, boundaries can remain in tact and the patient care can remain within the zone of helpfulness.
A lot of information has been stipulated concerning how patients should be treated and the legal rights involved in the health care system. Different values are, therefore, involved. In the correctional setting, the patient entirely relies on the nursing service offered and various services are expected to be offered by a nurse. However, in the process of providing these services, a nurse has to uphold all ethics that dictate the profession (National Commission on Correctional Care, 2011). The legal ethics include right to autonomy where the patient’s view should be respected and incorporated in the provision of nursing care. A nurse should always tell the patient the truth according to how he or she is fairing on health wise. The principle of beneficence also allows a nurse to concentrate on provision of services that are beneficial to the patient. A registered nurse also ensures equitability and fairness in the provision of care to the patient (National Commission on Correctional Care, 2011). Another principle that a nurse understands is the principle of fidelity that allows a nurse to remain committed in the process of provision of care. The principles help a nurse in making ethical decisions in the process delivering nursing care to the patient. For instance, having in mind the principle autonomy, one can be able to appreciate an advance of health care directive that enables one to act as per the patient’s
Ethical Practice: Physical Restraints and Planned Parenthood Nurses face ethical issues every day. Knowing how to spot them and respond appropriately to them is so important that it’s taught early on in nursing school and continues throughout the nurse’s career. Ethics is defined as “the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation” (Merriam-Webster, 2017). What is “good” and “bad” have different meanings for some people. Because of this, several codes of ethics have been created as a general guideline for medical professionals.
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
Several ethical principles that are incorporated in the nursing care of patients on a daily basis are nonmalificence, autonomy, beneficence, justice, fidelity and paternalism. Nurses should strive to comply to as many of the principles as possible. In this case there are principles which support and conflict with the wishes of the patient. The first principle that supports the wish of the patient is autonomy. Autonomy means that competent patients have the right to make decisions for themselves and the delivery of the healthcare that they receive. Another factor that would support the patient’s wish to not be resuscitated is nonmalificence. Non maleficence means that nurses should not cause harm or injury to their patients. In this case the likelihood of injury after resuscitation was greater than if the patient were allowed to expire. A principle that could have negatively affected the outcome of the provision of ethical care was paternalism. Paternalism is when a healthcare provider feels that they know what is best for a patient, regardless of the patient’s desire for their own care. I demonstrated the principle of paternalism because I thought that I knew what was best for the patient without first consulting with the patient or family. This situation might have had some very negative consequences had the patient not have been competent. Practicing a paternalistic mindset might have caused a practitioner in the same instance to force their ideas about not resuscitating the loved one onto the family. This could have caused a sense of remorse and loss of control of care amongst the
First of all, nursing courses require a lot of critical and strategic thinking skills. These courses are meant to teach us how to take care of patients with specific illnesses and we are also taught how to keep them safe while we care for them. I am referring to the legal, ethical, and safety practices that we are taught all throughout nursing school. I have been fortunate enough to witness quality safety practices throughout all my rotations, but that is not to say that the potential for a violation has not been present. The most recent example I can think of deals with safety practices with patients who are restrained. I have noticed the use restraints to be an option that can cause great distress if abused, but is quite frequently necessary in a unit such as the one I am currently on, which is the medical intensive care unit. Although it is concerning, many of the patients who have required restraints have been ones that are constantly pulling out tubing such as Foley catheters, nasogastric tubes, and IVs. At this point in my education, I have not attended a rotation where an incident report while filed, but I have come to learn that on units such as med-surg, common incident reports filed are about patient falls. I have come to that conclusion based on my personal experience during clinical rotations. The majority of the time I have gone to clinical, the patient has been elderly, frail, or
The use of restraints is a common practice in acute care and long-term care settings. According to a study regarding the use of physical restraints in 40 acute care hospitals in the United States, the overall rate of restraint use is 50 restrained patients per 1,000 patient’s days; an estimated 27,000 people are in physical restraints each day (Minnick, Mion, Johnson, Catrambone, & Leipzig, 2007). Restraints are often used in hospital settings to keep a person from hurting themselves or doing harm to others. It is also used to prevent falls. Using restraints can cause several problems and adverse patient outcomes. It has been found that physical restraints are associated with increased rates of respiratory and elimination problems, circulation
The use of restraints for medical purposes have been in effect for many years. Whether it be in a nursing home setting, mental health, ICU, emergency department, or even a possible school setting. The effectiveness and/or overall harm essentially caused by restraints is an issue that has been argued and studied by many health care professionals throughout time. Restraints are oftentimes used to either protect a patient from harming themselves, or even harming the nurses or other medical personnel that is assisting with their care. Even with the current research and studies whether or not the services provided by restraints will continue to be utilized is still unknown. Although there are a lot of questions