The Role of Ethics in Nursing - Essay Example

? Ethics Paper of the of the of the The discussion aims at examining and assessing the role of ethics in nursing by underpinning few questions based on ethical issues. These issues have been presented through a case study and answers are based on personal understanding. All questions answer the role and importance of ethics in nursing where ethical principles have been considered as the utmost requirement to deal with varieties of ethical issues. 1. The ethical dilemma presented in the case study revolves around the enforcement of personal will where the Chief Resident tells the head nurse of a pediatric unit to transfer five patients with cystic fibrosis to another ward. The head nurse feels that these patients are frequently hospitalized and transferring them would distress them. Here, the chief resident is looking to serve personal interest of his pediatricians at the cost of snubbing the health hazards of existing patients. The ethical dilemma in this case is based on deontological or duty bound ethics that emphasizes on acting morally and rationally along with conducting tasks and responsibilities in a rational manner. The fundamental ethical principles for nurses state that patients should be respected for human dignity and should be taken care in a compassionate way. However, transferring the patients suffering from cystic fibrosis to another ward cannot be considered as an ethical move especially when the reason cited is based on offering space to pediatricians. It is important to consider the health issue of patients and accordingly taking steps rather than serving and promoting self and personal interest. At the same time, this situation fails to serve the utilitarian principle as it does not offer pleasure to majority of people and thus can be considered as a major ethical issue that needs to be assessed and analyzed well in order to offer mutual benefits and advantages (Rosen, 2003). 2. The important issues in this scenario are conflict of interest for nurses and deontological and duty bound ethics. At times, nurses are entangled in a situation and scenario where there is a conflict between the expectations of patients and work authority. The chief resident wants few patients to get transferred to another ward while the head nurse feels the other way. This shows that there is a conflict in terms of handling and understanding the situation. At the same time, deontological and duty bound ethics state that every individual should perform his tasks and responsibilities by being moral and ethical. The words ethical and moral are used throughout in the code of ethics for nurses and hold great importance and value. Ethics define what is right and wrong and moral defines personal attributes and intentions that have to be rational and positive offering mutual benefits and advantages. The head nurse can pay heed to the orders of the chief resident but this will breach the utilitarian code of principle affecting patients and benefitting few pediatricians. It is important to come up with a systematic and rational solution offering benefits and advantages to patients and pediatricians. At the same time, the prime and fundamental duty of nurses and health care organsiations is to take care of patients rather than offering them trouble and inconvenience. Thus, assessing the entire issue, it can be said that the major ethical issues are conflict of interest for nurses and deontological and duty bound ethical issues (Schudin, 2003). 3. Some of the major stakeholders in this case are chief resident, head nurse, patients and family members of patients. However, in order to resolve this issue, it will be imperative to consider the head nurse and chief residents as primary stakeholders. At first, it is important to discuss on conflict of interests leading to unfavorable situation for patients suffering from cystic fibrosis. The chief resident and head nurse needs to discuss on mutual benefits and advantages rather than perceiving the benefits and welfare of pediatricians. In this case, the head nurse is in a dilemma of accepting the order of the chief resident or to conduct his moral and ethical duty aimed at serving patients and safeguarding their interest and rights. At the same time, patients need to be included in the resolution along with their family members. It can be the case that patients may not offer their views and opinions on their transfer to another ward but family members can always negotiate and fight for their rights. However, in this case, the head nurse needs to convey the message of utilitarian principle along with highlighting hew rights and moral responsibilities towards patients. This will help in easing the situation along with identifying a way where patients can be treated morally and ethically. It is important to include all these stakeholders as patients need to know what is happening with them, head nurse needs to know her duties and responsibilities, chief resident needs to create mutual value and advantages and family members are entitled to know the health initiatives and improvements of their loved ones. All these stakeholders can be considered as of great importance in resolving the issue in a systematic and ethical way 4. As per the American Nurses Association (ANA), the ethical principles state that nurses in all professional relationships need to respect the dignity, worth and uniqueness of each individual in a compassionate way. They need to treat their patients in a compassionate and equal manner irrespective of their economic and social status. At the same time, the prior commitment of any nurse is to patients and safeguarding their personal interests and rights. In this case, the head nurse is presented with a dilemma of accepting the orders of the chief resident pertaining to the transfer of few patients. However, as per the ANA ethical principles, it is important to safeguard the interest and rights of patients rather than doing something against them. The chief resident is trying to impose his views leading to the welfare of his pediatricians by snubbing the rights and welfare of patients leading to trouble and harassment. This needs to be sorted out through rational and moral understanding of the entire situation leading to mutual welfare and advancement. 5. The ethical principles involved in this case are beneficence, nonmalfesance and justice. Beneficence states of doing good and helping others by removing harmful activities and promoting mutual benefits and advantages. However, in this case, the chief resident is focusing on the welfare of his pediatricians by ignoring the condition and rights of patients. On the other hand, nonmalfesance states “do no harm” by balancing benefits with harms. However, in this case the benefits are in the form of offering space to pediatricians and harms in the form of putting patients under more adverse situations where sudden and frequent transfer of wards may lead to distress and anxiety. In this case, it can be said that there is not a balance between benefits and harms and need to be assessed and analyzed well. Justice states fair and equitable applications of laws, rules and morals and fair distributions of goods offering mutual benefits and advantages. This ethical principle can be aligned well with the utilitarian principle that states equal benefits and advantages to majority of people (Rosen, 2003). However, in this case, it can be said that equal treatment and application of laws and morals have not been proposed by the chief resident. It is important to assess the needs and demands of each stakeholder and accordingly decisions should be taken rather than benefiting few stakeholders and jeopardizing others to an extent of violating general rules and applications of ethics and morals. This will lead to favorable situation benefitting everyone. 6. There is no doubt that a meeting is required to resolve the issue along with coming up with solutions offering mutual welfare and benefits to patients and pediatricians. In the meeting, it is important for the head nurse and chief residents to be present as these stakeholders are important in resolving the issue. It needs to be mentioned that involving patients in resolving the issue can be distressing for them and also for their family members. So, the prime stakeholders for the meeting should be the head nurse and chief residents. The meeting should include exchange of views and opinions on utilitarian principle offering advantages and benefits to the majority of people involved in a situation and circumstances along with proper conduct of medical and nursing duties. This will help in deriving logical and moral conclusions helping patients and pediatricians to be at the right end. The best way to resolve the issue can be putting the interest of patients ahead of self and personal interest along with creating a favorable environment and situation offering positive and favorable benefits to majority of stakeholders (Rosen, 2003). 7. The best decision in this context is to understand the roles and responsibilities of nursing along with identifying the importance of treating patients well. The concept of utilitarian can be considered as of great importance in this situation. The utilitarian principles state the importance of creating benefits and advantages for majority of people and in this case, it is important to create value and benefits for stakeholders like patients, their family members, nurses and chief resident (Singer, 1993). This will offer mutual growth and benefits along with wide arrays of benefits and advantages. At the same time, the deontological and duty bound ethics need to be governed and supported well for the welfare and benefits of above mentioned stakeholders. References Rosen, F (2003). Classical Utilitarianism from Hume to Mill. Routledge, p. 28. Singer, P (1993). Practical Ethics, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Schudin, V (2003). Ethics in Nursing: the caring relationship (3rd Ed.). Edinburgh: Butterworth-Heinemann Read More