Ethical Decision Making
Every profession is governed by a set of ethical standards that determine the way things are done. Generally, ethics is about controlling the behaviors of people in their field of work. Nursing as a profession is governed by a set of ethics that determines how nurses conduct themselves at the clinics. The nurses are trusted with the wellbeing of patients, and thus, the code of ethics is expected to control how the nurses attend to the patients. Generally, the patient is given priority, and the nurses operate in the best interest of the patients. Ethical dilemmas exist daily in the nursing sector, with the nurses having to balance between the interests of the patients and the requirements of the ethical standards.
The first dilemma that faces nurses is the concept of autonomy. The interests of the patient are prioritized over any other interests. First, the patient is allowed to make known to the nurse, their interests, and the way they need to be taken through the nursing care — the concept of autonomy advocates for the rights of patients (Leppänen, 2016). Moreover, the privacy of the patients should be protected under all circumstances. Dilemmas come up from the idea of autonomy. First, a patient may have interests that are against the code of ethics. For example, a patient may ask a nurse to withdraw medication or accelerate their death. Although the rights of the patients should be respected, the nurse is limited by the code of ethics from taking some actions. Also, a patient’s relatives may ask to be provided with information concerning their patients. If the patient does not allow for the sharing of information, the nurse is in a dilemma concerning the action to take. Generally, the rights of patients place nurses in a dilemma due to the requirements of the code of ethics.
Nonmaleficence is another reason why nurses are faced with dilemmas. Nurses are expected to offer services to patients without causing discomfort. However, some procedures are accompanied by significant discomfort, and nurses do not have a choice other than carrying out the procedures (Scott, 2019). One of the methods that require going against the concept of nonmaleficence is the need to administer injections for the treatment of various ailments. The code of ethics, on the other side, requires that the nurses adhere to the concepts without deviation. However, circumstances may necessitate that a nurse acts in variation of the ethical concepts. When circumstances force nurses to act against the code of ethics, the action taken should have a significance that goes beyond the discomfort caused during the procedure. Therefore, the solution to the dilemmas affecting nurses is found by assessing the outcome of the action taken.
The vastness of nursing dilemmas calls for diversity in dealing with the challenges. Examples of the dilemmas include the need for staffing as well as the decisions on bringing life to an end. Also, patients with a disability may cause self-harm placing nurses on a dilemma as to whether to live them alone or to keep an eye on them (Scott, 2019). Also, elderly patients may create challenges to the nurses by insisting on the need to be allowed to move out on their own. According to the code of ethics, patients should not be denied their independence. However, nurses are in a dilemma on whether to allow for freedom or to ensure the safety of the patients. Generally, a dilemma exists when the nurse is attempting to solve the contrasting issues.
Justice and fairness pose a dilemma in the nursing profession. The slow introduction of technology into the nursing sector causes a challenge while distributing technological services among patients. The prioritization of patients causes a dilemma to nurses in that the limited supply of technology is not enough for all patients. Also, the difference in cultural backgrounds leaves nurses with difficult choices to make concerning the interaction with each patient. For example, some patients may prefer more independence than others at the expense of efficient nursing services. Factors such as the need for privacy are also affected by the patients’ background and expose nurses into several dilemmas. Generally, the decision-making process in the nursing sector should create a balance between the code of ethics and the need to provide efficient services.
In sum, nurses have to balance between the interests of the patients and the requirements of the ethical standards. The ethical concepts specified in the code of ethics places nurses in ethical dilemmas with the interests of patients worsening the situation. For example, autonomy requires that the interests of the patient are prioritized over any other interests. Also, nurses are expected to offer services to patients without causing discomfort, although some procedures cannot be carried out without causing discomfort. Examples of the dilemmas include the need for staffing as well as the decisions on bringing life to an end. Generally, the decision-making process in the nursing sector should create a balance between the code of ethics and the need to provide efficient services.
References
Leppänen, J. (2016). Nurses experiences of ethical decision making in nursing.
Scott, P. (2019). Nursing Leaders’ Ethical Decision-Making About Professional Boundaries and Nurse-Patient Relationships: A Mixed Methods Explanatory Sequential Design.