The Code of Practice in Nursing and Social Care - Article Example

Nurses always have to make clinically sound decisions that are within the ethical and legal frameworks to ensure professional care for patients. The professional code of practice stipulates that nurses have to make ethical decisions and take ethical steps in line with their work. The code of practice in nursing and healthcare profession calls for raising healthcare standards. This means that they always have to ensure that the standards that are set in any healthcare set up are quite ethical. This paper is all about legal and ethical principles to nursing practice. (Bridgit, 2005) There are various values that are linked to ethics in healthcare. They include autonomy, confidentiality, truth telling and informed consent. Analysis of the healthcare industry shows that dilemas normally occur in relation to the above named ethical issues. Nurses always have to make right decisions even in the event of such dilemas occuring in their line of duty. Dilemmas of truth telling and confidentiality are quite common in healthcare set ups. This normally arises because the patient has the overall right to know about his or her health status.On the other hand, the nurse has the overall duty of care and maintaining confidentiality. This normally happens where even close relatives of the patient demand to know more about their relative’s health. Such situations call for wisdom and vast knowledge on ethical principles in medical field. Non maleficence is also one othe ethical vaules that is found in the medical field. In this ethical principle, it is a requirement that physicians or medical practitioners don’t describe any medicine that may be harmful to the patient. This is especially when the physicians know very well that the medicine prescribed is not safe for the patient Nurses also have to be responsible and accountable in line with their overall roles. In this case nurses have the obligation of ensuring that they provide safe and competent care to patients. They also have the overall right to decline participation in procedures that are against their conscience in the moral sense. (Johnstone, 1998) In such a case they have to ensure that the safety of the patient is not compromised. In case there is an unsafe practice then they have to report the matter. Nurses also have to promote aspects that enhance the patient’s well being. These include an environment that is ecologically sustainable. They have to value social, economic and environmental ethics. All these promote good health in people. (Quinn, 2006) Veracity or truthfullness governs nurses actions as one of the ethical principles that has to be considered in any action taken they take. Doctors, nurses and other medical practitioners are normally required to speak the truth concerning their actions. This means that any action taken by a nurse or doctor in relation to attending to a patient. The truth has to be said at all times. Any information concerning a patient’s treatment that is given by a doctor that is not the truth is considered unethical. Conflicts between veracity and non maleficence are very common in the nursing sector. As earlier on illustrated, non maleficence is all about not giving any harmful prescription to a patient. On the other hand veracity principle demands that nurses speak the truth even concerning their care and prescriptions that they give to patients. Autonomy is also another ethical value. This is in relation to the overall acceptance of right of an individual making choices by him or herself but it should be an informed one in line with their care. This means that people have the right to make their own decisions in line with health care they prefer. (Quinn, 2006) This however should be done after being given complete and accurate information by nurses etc. This means that nurse should inform patients about care available and then respect their decision. This is whereby the patient has the overall right to choose or even accept the treatment. This means that the patient is the final decision maker concerning his or her treatment. In case the patient is incapacitated, then a close relative can make the health decisions of their behalf. (Kerridge, 2006) Informed consent is also one of the important ethical aspects in the healthcare industry. In this ethical principle, patients always have to make a decision only after they have been given all the information concerning the medical procedure or the medication that has to be adminstered to them. Nurses always have the reponsibility of educating and informing patients concerning the pros and the cons of any medication that has to be adminstered to them. In this case the patient makes a decision after evaluating all the available options and the effects of the chosen option of medication. There is a relationship between the principle of autonomy and that of informed consent. The autonomy principle acknowledges that patients have the right to make their own decisions concerning healthcare preferences. On the other hand informed consent also acknowledges that patients have to make the decisions but only after they have all the information that they need to know. This is in relation to the healthcare options available at their disposal. It is very wrong for patients to make decisions without getting full information concerning the pros and the cons of the same. That is why the principle of autonomy and informed consent are quite related to one another. (Pattison, 2004) There are possible consequences of not obtaining an informed consent. One of the consequences is whereby a patient makes a decision that may adversely affect them. For instance a person who undergoes vasectomy without full information may end up going through unnecessary efforts trying to get a baby. The other consequence is that sometimes patients end up losing so much finances in the medical option that they have chosen while they could have spent less on a similar option. When nurses do not obtain the consent of the patients when carrying out medical procedures, patients may suffer by being given prescriptions that are either allergic or those that do not work well with them. That is why the principle of informed consent has to be respected in any healthcare set up. (Quinn, 2006) The dilemma of veracity, non malificence and autonomy is as follows. Nancy is a thirty year old lady who visits the hospital after experiencing some very bad abdominal pains. After examination, the doctor tells her to stay in the hospital bed for some few days. The doctor prescribes some drugs that would help ease her pain as she undergoes further examination. The nurse that is in charge of issuing out the drugs happen to confuse and gives her the wrong drugs which results in a miscarriage. Nancy was abit uncormfotable about the drugs she was being given and was unwilling to take them. The nurse on the other hand has confidence that those are the drugs that the doctor prescribed and actually ignored the patient. The nurse later on realizes that there are two patients with the same names who had to be given very different drugs. In this case, should the nurse inform her about the wrong drugs that she gave her? In this scenario, there is a dilemma that involves three ethical principles that are very essential. There is the principle of veracity where nurses have to speak out the truth concerning their actions. In this case the nurse finds it hard to speak the truth because the patient can even take legal measures against her. On the other hand, she has to say the truth so that proper corrective measures can be taken. The principle of non malificence has also been compromised the drugs that were administered were harmful. The principle of autonomy was not highly considered by the nurse on duty. There are various strategies that the RN could implement that would help deal with such conflicts. First of all, it is very important to note that conflicts may never be avoided most of the times, but how they are dealt with matters a lot. That is why every healthcare facility has to put in place relevant strategies that can help deal with such conflicts in the eventof their occurrence. (Bridgit, 2005) One of the strategies that can be implemented includes the formation of a board that handles ethical conflicts in healthcare facilities. The board has to consist of various personalities. One of them has to be a religious leader, medical practitioner and nurse among other medical practitioners. This board will help in handling the day to day conflicts within the healthcare set up that are ethicaly based. Another strategy that can be implemented includes training and development for the nurses. This has to be carried out in a continuous process where nurses undergo both formal and informal training. The formal education can be implemented through enrolling nurses in further education programs. This can also be carried out through seminar and open forums between professionals in the health sector and the nurses. On the other hand, informal training can be given by senior nurses with wide experience to other junior nurses as they go about the day to day activities in the healthcare facilities. This is concerning ethical values that have to be upheld in their line of duty. This also has to include any possible ways through which they can avoid any unnecessary ethical conflicts in healthcare. It is normally said that knowelde is power. Through this knowledge nurses will be able to handle any ethical conflicts that come their way. (Johnstone, 1998) In conclusion, all the activities that are normally carried out in healthcare facilities have to adhere to ethical standards. There are various ethical values that have to be adhered to by nurses and other medical practitioners. They include truth telling, confidentiality, veracity, non malificence and autonomy among others. Dilemmas related to ethical values are very common in healthcare set ups. The principle of autonomy recognises the fact that the client or the patient has the overall right of making his or her own choice in relation to the healthcare that they prefer.On the other hand, the principle of informed consent acknowledges the fact the patient of the client has to be given all the full details concerning healthcare options. This is also in relation to their pros and cons of healthcare services. The principles of autonomy and informed consent are quite related to one another. All in all ethical principles are very essential and have to be adhered to by nurses under all circumstances. Reference: Bridgit, C. (2005): The code of practice in Nursing and social care; London; Harvard Press Johnstone, M. (1998): Determining and Responding Effectively to Ethical Professional Misconduct in Nursing; New York; Melbourne Press Kerridge, I. (2006): Ethics and Law for the Health Professions; Katoomba; Social Science Press Pattison, J. (2004): Are Nursing Code of practice ethical? Overall view; New York; Prentice Press Quinn, K. (2006): The principles and Practice of Nurse education; New York; Macmillan Press Read More