Nursing Ethical Dilemma - Essay Example

Obviously, the therapy directed specifically to the cancer is not working any more. The medical decision was to provide palliative care at home. The nurse in this case has also been requested by the family to refrain from disclosing her diagnosis to her. The patient asks about a particular medication given to her by the nurse. While the medication actually is an anticancer drug, the nurse is instructed by the family members to tell that it is a stool softener. The client does not have any clear directives about end of life care.

The family wants her to be kept out of the loop in care. Although family can provide further information about the clients characteristics, lifestyle, value, and beliefs, here they are clearly paternalistic and have decided to violate patients autonomy. The nurse at any cost must preserve autonomy of the patient regarding her own care. When the nurse is asked to tell the patient a lie about the medicine she is taking, the principle of fidelity or faithfulness is violated (Ferrell and Coyle, 2006).

This ethical dilemma will be analyzed from the nursing ethical principles based on Bandman and Bandman shared decision making model. The nurse in this situation is indirectly forced to lie for the family to the patient. Not complying with the familys wishes may cause dismissal of the nurses service to the patient. This is an ethical dilemma (Teno, 2004). It is clear that the family has denied the client’s right to self determination. The American Nurses Association advocates full autonomy to the patient will total disclosure of facts regarding healthcare and healthcare decisions.

It is clear that she has not been fully informed, and she is not being helped to comprehend her conditions. According to this principle, the nurse should provide the patient with the opportunity to make her own decisions related to her health-care needs. Moreover, misinforming patients regarding their care or medications violates the principle of