Moral Dilemmas in Nursing - Coursework Example

Ethics Ethics Ethical or moral dilemma is a situation that presents two options, and a choice has to be made between them, neither of the choices serves to resolve the situation or dilemma in an ethically acceptable way. In such situations, societal or personal ethical frameworks provide no satisfactory outcome. The dilemma assumes that the chooser will be guided by societal norms, codes, laws or religious teachings to make the choice ethically impossible. Ethical dilemmas are usually unpredictable, unforeseen and multidimensional which requires extraordinary measures.

Medics usually face ethical dilemmas, for instance saving either a mother or unborn child in a delivery room. For nurses to be ethical, they must be just, autonomous, beneficent, veracious and have respect for other peoples personalities and characters (Boudreau-Exner, 2015). Need, care and safety of the patients must always top the nurses’ priority list. The qualities of justice and fairness must be cultivated at all times and evil, or harm infliction must never cross a nurse’s mind. Health workers must always respect the patients’ decision since they have autonomy to make such decisions.

However, many a times, this becomes extremely difficult especially when a patient’s beliefs and values conflicts with the nurses’, the latter have to be competent to solve the predicament. For instance, a patient may refuse to undergo a life-saving procedure or medication that the nurse sees necessary, a nurse withholding treatment on professional grounds may go against beneficence and disregard to a patient’s wishes. Violation of autonomy occurs in cases such as preventive suicide, maintenance of professional integrity and protection of third parties.

Nurses at times violate patients’ privacy and confidentiality by sharing their information such as gunshot wounds, child abuse incidents and contagious diseases. Nurses, therefore, must seek help from colleagues when faced with ethical dilemmas to help find an appropriate solution for both the situation and the patient. Reference Boudreau-Exner, S. (2015). Health leaders and ethical dimensions of managing "value adds”. Healthcare Management Forum, 28(3), 121-123. doi:10.1177/0840470415570181