For those of us who work in an acute care setting nursing is more about vital signs, electrolyte imbalances, arrhythmias, respiratory status and mental status changes just to mention a few of the things that demand our attention on a day to day basis. However, at times we are faced with issues that call into play ethical decision and hence it is important to understand ethical concepts that can influence such decisions. Concepts such as scientism, relativism, post modernism have been recognized as playing a key role in the conflict between science and religion. A conflict that has hindered an important healthcare goal of holistic patient care (Grand Canyon University, 2015).
Postmodernism has many different characteristics hence it is difficult
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Scientism is the view that knowledge of reality should only be gained or is best gained through the scientific process or research. This statement though sounds logical; it implies that something cannot be known or believed if it is not scientifically gained knowledge. Scientism is not science; it is a view about knowledge. Scientific statements are facts, but statements of facts cannot explain moral and ethical judgments that evaluate facts claims as being good or bad. It is therefore important to distinguish between scientific claims (90% of Americans think racism is wrong) and values (racism is wrong). Science forms a part of ethical or ought statements but these statements goes beyond what science offers. Not making this distinction leads to the fallacy of obtaining an ought from an is. Relativism is another viewpoint that upholds that there is no concept such as “the ultimate truth” and every belief or knowledge is relative to how it is perceived by an individual or culture. For, example things that Americans value or prioritize like independence or equality might be irrelevant in another culture. The adverse effects of concepts such as scientism and relativism has led to nonscientific claims being trivialized in the healthcare system. However new interest has been generated in spirituality in the healthcare system and Duke University has formed a center in 1998 to promote religion and spirituality in health through research (Grand Canyon University, 2015). This in my opinion is a much needed venture resolve these tensions as the Bible reminds us that in the last days even the elect may be
Throughout American history, relationships between racial and ethnic groups have been marked by antagonism, inequality, and violence. In today’s complex and fast-paced society, historians, social theorists and anthropologists have been known to devote significant amounts of time examining and interrogating not only the interior climate of the institutions that shape human behavior and personalities, but also relations between race and culture. It is difficult to tolerate the notion; America has won its victory over racism. Even though many maintain America is a “color blind nation,” racism and racial conflict remain to be prevalent in the social fabric of American institutions. As a result, one may question if issues and challenges regarding the continuity of institutional racism still exist in America today. If socialization in America is the process by which people of various ethnicities and cultures intertwine, it is vital for one to understand how the race relations shape and influence personalities regarding the perceptions of various groups. Heartbreaking as it is, racism takes a detour in acceptance of its blind side. Further, to better understand racism one must take into account how deeply it entrenched it is, not only in politics, and economics but also Health Care settings. In doing so, one will grasp a decisive understanding of "who gets what and why.” The objective of this paper is to explore and examine the pervasiveness of racism in the health care industry, while at the same time shed light on a specific area of social relations that has remained a silence in the health care setting. The turpitude feeling of ongoing silence has masked the treatment black patients have received from white health care providers...
Healthcare systems are microcosms of the larger society in which they exist. Where there is structural violence or cultural violence in the larger society, so will there be evidence of systematic inequities in the institutions of these societies. The healthcare system in Australia is one example—from a plethora of similarly situated healthcare systems—in which the color of a patient’s skin or the race of his parents may determine the quality of medical received. Life expectancy and infant mortality rates are vastly different for non-Aboriginal, Aboriginal, and Torres Strait Islanders residing in Australia. The life expectancy of Aboriginal men is 21 years shorter than for non-Aboriginal men in Australia. For women, the difference is 19 years. The infant mortality rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander male infants is 6.8% and the infant mortality rate for female infants is 6.7%. For non-Aboriginal infants, the infant mortality rates are 1% for male infants and 0.8% for female infants. Further, the Aboriginal population is subject to a wide-range of diseases that do not exhibit comparatively high incidence rates in non-Aboriginal Australians.
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.
During week 4, we became familiar with the application of ethics in the nursing practice settings. We learned about ethical theories and principles, which are crucial when practicing in any clinical settings during ethical decision-making and while facing one or multiple ethical dilemmas. Also, we were introduced to the MORAL model used in ethical decision – making progress. The MORAL model is the easiest model to use in the everyday clinical practice, for instance at bedside nursing. This model can be applyed in any clinical settings and its acronyms assist
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the issue of incivility in nursing and how this affects the work environment, the importance that this has in the microsystem and the nursing profession and how suggestions on how to create healthy work atmosphere through my advanced practice in the family nurse practitioner field.
White privilege is a benefit that society gives to a white person. It is embedded in and supported by institutions, where it overtly manifests and reproduces as inequality (Cox & Taua, 2016, p. 48). This translates into preferential treatment for white coloured individuals. Such injustice results in the oppression of those who are not white, leading to unequal access to education, healthcare, housing, and employment (Gorski, 2003, p. 9).
In recent discussions of health care disparities, a controversial issue has been whether racism is the cause of health care disparities or not. On one hand, some argue that racism is a serious problem in the health care system. From this perspective, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) states that there is a big gap between the health care quality received by minorities, and the quality of health care received by non-minorities, and the reason is due to racism. On the other hand, however, others argue that health care disparities are not due to racism. In the words of Sally Satel, one of this view’s main proponents, “White and black patients, on average don’t even visit the same population of physicians” (Satel 1), hence this reduces the chances of racism being the cause of health care disparities. According to this view, racism is not a serious problem in the health care system. In sum, then, the issue is whether racism is a major cause of health care disparities as the Institute of Medicine argues or racism is not really an issue in the health care system as suggested by Sally Satel.
Discrimination based on a person’s race (racism), is one that may never be eradicated. It has not only widely spread across the society like a virus but has taken different forms and grown from being obvious to being concealed. Nursing is a profession that is based on care, labour and empathy, so it will be very easy for racism to be over looked. Whenever racism is examined in nursing, it is usually directed towards nurse-to- patient and patient-to-nurse racism. Nurse-to-nurse racism especially against migrant nurses is one that exist but is given less attention. This essay will be discussing nurse-to-nurse racism experienced by migrant nurses in workplaces. It will also analyse the impact of the issue and explore possible solutions.
In the health profession, the diversity of people requires the ability to carefully, respectfully and effectively provide care. For this reason, it is vital that the approach of care delivered to patients depend on each individuals. This approach ensures patients receive best quality of care possible and avoid situations that can potentially prevent improvement of health status. This essay will discuss the importance of nurses to be cultural competent, possible consequences of ethnocentrism and how critical reflection can help prevent ethnocentricity.
In this diverse society we are confronted everyday with so many ethical choices in provision of healthcare for individuals. It becomes very difficult to find a guideline that would include a border perspective which might include individual’s beliefs and preference across the world. Due to these controversies, the four principles in biomedical ethic which includes autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice help us understand and explain which medical practices are ethical and acceptable. These principles are not only used to protect the rights of a patient but also the physician from being violated.
Transcultural nursing requires us to care for our patients by providing culturally sensitive care over a broad spectrum of patients. The purpose of this post is to describe cultural baggage, ethnocentrism, cultural imposition, prejudice, discrimination, and cultural congruence. I will also give an example of each term to help you understand the terminology related to nursing care. I will definite cultural self-assessment and explain why it is valuable for nurses to understand what their own self-assessment means. Finally, I will describe the five steps to delivering culturally congruent nursing care and how I have applied these concepts in my nursing practice.
The term culture is defined as “the thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions of racial, ethnic, religious, or social groups” (Potter & Perry, 2013). With the increase of culturally diverse populations in the United States, it is important for nurses to practice cultural competence. Cultural competence is the ability to acquire specific behaviors, skills, attitudes, and policies in a system that permits “effective work in a cross-cultural setting” (OMH, 2013). Being culturally competent is essential because nurses who acknowledges and respects a patient’s health beliefs and practices are more likely to have positive health outcomes (OMH, 2012). Every culture has certain views and attitudes concerning health. The Jewish (also referred to as Jews), in particular, have intriguing health practices and beliefs that health care providers need to be aware of.
Nursing philosophy outlines the thoughts on what the practitioners hold to be true regarding the state of their profession and gives a foundation of nursing activities (Masters, 2015). The philosophy goes ahead to recommend moral principles they hold as true to the ground of their beliefs in presumptions. In simple terms, it is a declaration of the nurses’ ethics, values, and beliefs regarding patients’ treatment and care. Organizations usually develop their own set of values, ethics, and beliefs (Nursing Philosophies) in accordance to the surrounding internal and external factors and how the philosophies will benefit the patients they take care of (Watson, 2012). This paper attempts to compare and contrast nursing philosophies of
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
Faith Community Hospital, an organization who's mission statement is to promote health and well-being of the people in the communities. They serve through the extent of services provided in collaboration with the partners who share the same vision and values. Though the mission statement is the model that everyone should be following, everyone does not think the same about every issue. We all may face similar situation at one point in time but the end result may be different for each individual because we all have different values and beliefs. There are many differences between ethics, laws, beliefs, and oaths that all affect the decisions from patients to staff members. Some patients refuse to take medical services and there are staff members who refuse to provide certain services due to those value lines. Some of the staff members are caring so much for the patients that they sometimes take radical positions to respond to their well-beings. In these situations medical intervention can conflict with religious beliefs or personal moral convictions. Hospital pharmacists are even taking positions which they believe to be important such as filling uninsured prescriptions by accepting payments in installments. Staff members in ICU initiated Do Not Resuscitate procedures with out written orders. Doctors are putting patients first from various interpretations. In "right to die" situations the doctors seem to be getting too involved in compassion and passions with their patients. We need to stay focused on what our jobs are and what we are promoting which is to provide healthcare and its services to members of the communities. Counselors are also treating some of their clients with no authorization of the values and beliefs they have. On the other hand, there are some staff members within the hospital who refuse to serve patients unless they have confirmed insurance coverage. If a patient is to pass away because of unauthorized decisions, this can cause a stir with the media as well as with current or future patients in the community.