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Benefits of patient autonomy
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Introduction Truth-telling in nursing and the medical profession in general is an extensive area encompassing many ethical issues, not limited to and including the rights of patients or their families to receive information about their diagnosis and illness. The practitioner, on the other hand, must balance their obligation to tell the truth against the importance of Non-maleficence ,“do no harm”. Questions of how much truth to tell?, When, if ever, is a Nurse justified in withholding information? Can some information be harmful? This essay will examine truth-telling in terms of patient autonomy verses the physical and psychological harm it could bring, Dealing with a number of key issues that have been identified during my
seminar presentation. The three Main issues to be explored within the following discussion are; Effective Communication, Examining how effective communication can improve the care and education of nurses, patients and their families. Exploring the importance and relevance of ethics in the everyday interaction between the nurses and the people in their care, with a focus on legislation and the duty of candour, Then on to analysing nurses as role models and its relevance within professional practice Finally, some conclusions will be drawn by drawing on evidence from my nursing practise and nursing/medical research, also venturing outside our realm to pull in theories and ideas belonging to other fields Although the restriction of keeping truth from patient was posed by family, nurses the primary person who deals with such dilemmas. However, nurse’s responsibility is to be professional, stay true to the lawfulness of their practice, and follow the Nursing Code of Ethics as well as hospital’s policy in truth telling.Hodkinson K (2008) 1. Hodkinson K (2008) How should a nurse approach truth-telling? A virtue ethics perspective. Nurs Philos 9: 248-256. © 2015 Microsoft Terms Privacy & cookies Developers English (United Kingdom)
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
According to Terrence F. Ackerman, as of the 1980s the American Medical Association had to include the respect for a person’s autonomy as a principle of medical ethics (Ackerman 14, 1982). This includes having the physician provide all the medical information to the patient even if the information could cause negative implication onto the patient. The physician is also expected to withhold all information of the patient from 3rd parties (Ackerman 14, 1982). Although it is seen as standard in today’s world, in
One of the most complex, ever-changing careers is the medical field. Physicians are not only faced with medical challenges, but also with ethical ones. In “Respect for Patients, Physicians, and the Truth”, by Susan Cullen and Margaret Klein, they discuss to great extent the complicated dilemmas physicians encounter during their practice. In their publication, Cullen and Klein discuss the pros and cons of disclosing the medical diagnosis (identifying the nature or cause of the disease), and the prognosis (the end result after treating the condition). But this subject is not easily regulated nor are there guidelines to follow. One example that clearly illustrates the ambiguity of the subject is when a patient is diagnosed with a serious, life-threatening
Winland-Brown, J. L. (2015). The New "Code of Ethics for Nursing With Interpretive Statements". Practical Clinical Applications Part I. MEDSURG Nursing 24(4),
In “Should Doctors Tell the Truth?” Joseph Collins argues for paternalistic deception, declaring that it is permissible for physicians to deceive their patients when it is in their best interests. Collins considers his argument from a “pragmatic” standpoint, rather than a moral one, and uses his experience with the sick to justify paternalistic deception. Collins argues that in his years of practicing, he has encountered four types of patients who want to know the truth: those that want to know so they know how much time they have left, those who do not want to know and may suffer if told the truth, those who are incapable of hearing the truth, and those who do not have a serious diagnosis (605). Collins follows with the assertion that the more serious the condition is, the less likely the patient is to seek information about their health (606).
Truth in medicine is a big discussion among many medical professionals about how doctors handle the truth. Truth to a patient can be presented in many ways and different doctors have different ways of handling it. Many often believe that patient’s being fully aware of their health; such as a bad diagnosis, could lead to depression compared to not knowing the diagnosis. In today’s society doctor’s are expected to deliver patient’s the whole truth in order for patients to actively make their own health decisions. Shelly K. Schwartz discusses the truth in her essay, Is It Ever Ok to Lie to Patients?. Schwartz argument is that patients should be told the truth about their health and presented and addressed in a way most comfortable to the patient.
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.
Pergert, P., & Lützén, K. (2012). Balancing truth-telling in the preservation of hope: A relational ethics approach. Nursing ethics, 19(1), 21-29.
Nurses should remain non-judgemental towards patients, families or staff regardless of their back ground, religious beliefs or age (“Equality Act 2010”) Regardless of where you work nurses are duty bound to maintain effective practice through clinical governance frameworks such as, audits, ensuring healthcare is safe for every person every time and the best of available resources are used. (NHS FIFE 2010) Effective collaboration is also important within a multidisciplinary team to enable safe delivery and promote high quality holistic care that will enhance better patient outcomes for instance, referral to the appropriate services, professionals. Throughout a nurses’ career they will face clinical ethical dilemmas for instance, families that want a nurse to deny telling the patient the truth about their medical condition as the families believe this could detrimental to the patients’ wellbeing. The decisions a nurse will make could be affected by a few factors such as, own personal beliefs, values and
The healthcare system can be difficult for clients to navigate and they are often unsure how to access information which puts them at the mercy of others and can lead to feelings of helplessness (Erlen, 2006). Nurses can provide resources to educate patients when they becomes dependent on a health care provider and no longer feel in control of their own body which can lead to fear, hopelessness, helplessness and loss of control (Cousley et al., 2014). The change in roles individuals face can further increase their stress and feelings of powerlessness (Scanlon & Lee, 2006). According to the CNA code of ethics, nurses are responsible for protecting patients from objective risks that place them in an increased level of vulnerability (Carel, 2009). They can do this by providing the resources necessary for patients to educate themselves and be better able to cope with the health challenges they
Consent has been a fundamental part of nursing practice dating back as far as Hippocrates in ancient Greece. The Hippocratic Oath is an ancient form of guideline, devised for those who chose to enter the medical profession. Here these guidelines show physician-patient conversation were key components in healthcare, along with ensuring patients were kept informed on issues related to their health and the importance of gaining consent during the delivery of care (Miles, 2009).
My desire to become a nurse is deeply-rooted in my aspiration to contribute to the well-being and improvement of the less privileged as well as my own personal ethical stance. My decision was made easy by the professional code of ethics of nursing, which correspond with my personal beliefs. One of my personal values that have shaped me into who I am today is honesty. It is important to provide patients with accurate information on procedures, diagnosis, treatment options, and possible outcomes. Although I am fallible, it is imperative to acknowledge and take responsibility of my own mistakes. These personal qualities would help propel me into my professional career.
Confidentiality will always be an important component in medical discussions, but confidentiality on the other hand is not a right and has to be stable against counter claims (Chalmers, 2003). Some arguments and facts that were used in the article were how are health care providers supposed to be able to correct the stability? Should overt content always be required from clients for any use of their health care information separately from the direct clinical care? The proof suggests that where the informed consent is needed completeness of health information hurts and unfinished health ...
As a nurse, we must know right from wrong and hold true to our judgments on certain issues. Therefore, nurses must
While nursing is a fulfilling occupation, it is not without its challenges. The complexities of today’s healthcare system present nurses with a multitude of ethical dilemmas every day. This paper will define the meaning of ethical dilemmas and discuss common types of ethical dilemmas in nursing, such as patient autonomy and privacy. This paper will review the effects these dilemmas may have on nurses, as ethical dilemmas for nurses may often be stressful and involve life and death decisions. The Code of Ethics for Nurses set forth by the American Nurses Association and the International Council of Nurses Code of Ethics are also discussed, as they are integral in guiding nurses in compassionate, ethical care.