Ethical Principles And Practices In Space Exploration - Assignment Example

Ethic Ethic According to the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) report brief, the U.S human spaceflight program is expanding its operation scales into the space (Iom.edu, 2015). In fact, the number of space crewmembers is gradually increasing from the initial one member scenario. As the space program transforms, there is an increasing concern for the long duration that include an extended stay on the space stations or missions going on Mars. The health practitioners observe that such long missions may expose crewmembers to the high level of risks that are beyond the acceptable limits as per current health standards.

Furthermore, the health professionals view the risks as poorly characterized, uncertain and may be unforeseeable. Therefore, the report advocates for proper understanding of the ethical factors that drive critical decision making concerning health standards and space missions. In line with the above concern, NASA requested the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to outline the possible ethical principles and practices that guide the Agency’s future decision-making regarding long duration space exploration.

Ideally, IOM has the mandate to ensure the safety of the public in medical standards. Therefore, it recommended that when designing long duration space missions NASA should employ crucial ethics-based decision-making process that draw basis from the commonly accepted ethics principles. Resultantly, NASA adopted ethics principles such as avoiding harm to astronauts and beneficence that weighs the missions’ potential benefits. Additionally, NASA holds a favorable balance of risks and benefits that ensures the benefits far outweighs risks (Hacker, Diegel-Vacek, & Piano, 2015).

Lastly, NASA adopts respect for the autonomy of the astronauts’ participation, fairness as well as fidelity to the astronauts. Nevertheless, NASA has the mandate of protecting astronauts’ health data as a matter of privacy. The above report on concerns about health standards, ethical responsibilities, and decision-making framework for NASA’s space exploration has critical implications to the Advanced Practice Nurses (APN). APN primary obligations involve offering new methods of delivering cost-effective health care and making practitioners easily accessible by patients.

The report brings out challenging aspects of healthcare that may make APN redefine the risks an astronaut experiences while in the space. Clearly, APN may be clueless of the specific risk factors and their magnitude because stakeholders know little about the space. Similarly, it affects the codes of American Nurses Association (ANA). According to provision six of ANA ethics code, nurse participates in maintaining, establishing, and improving healthcare conditions and environments of employment.

It is for the delivery of quality health care that is consistent with the professional values through collective and individual action (Nursingworld.org, 2015). Therefore, ANA needs to understand the nature of space exploration employment to enable it provides proper healthcare standards for it. Moreover, ANA’s provision 8 of the ethical codes dictates nurses to collaborate with concerned stakeholders in understanding healthcare needs and making the world health care system conducive. Consequently, the report will affect this provision in that nurses will have to collaborate with NASA in understanding the health care needs of the astronauts.

References Hacker, E., Diegel-Vacek, L., & Piano, M. (2015). Is it Time to Re-Examine the Pipeline for APN Practice? Nursing Outlook. Doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2015.05.002 Iom.edu. (2015). Report Brief - Institute of Medicine. Retrieved 6 June 2015, from http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2014/Health-Standards-for-Long-Duration-and-Exploration-Spaceflight/Report-Brief040214.aspx Nursingworld.org. (2015). ANA Position Statements on Ethics and Human Rights. Retrieved 6 June 2015, from http://www.nursingworld.

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