CU1022 Ethical Dilemma in Nursing Assignment Sample

Developing Academic Skills

In an interactive profession like nursing, it is crucial to communicate with the patient and the carers about the essential information which can facilitate the process of effective decision-making (Choi, 2018). Patient autonomy and beneficence are the core principles that dictate this process and must be abided. However, there are instances where the protection of the patient’s rights might be conflicting with the beneficence and wellbeing of the patient (Choi et al., 2019). This paper will explore the ethical dilemma of nursing professionals that arises during the protection of the patient’s right in the healthcare facility.

The patient rights in Australia have been listed by the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights that ensures that each patient is able to get high-quality care and adequate facilities. These rights include the right to access, safety, communication, participation, respect, privacy, and commitment to care (Government of Australia, 2018). However, there are several numbers of instances where the nurses might get stuck in a dilemma where the patients may take a decision that is not beneficial for their health. Among the nursing professionals, the dilemma might arise based on the doubt that is the patient is able to understand the course of treatment (Rainer et al., 2018). The nurses might also be bewildered when sharing a piece of particular information with the patients may impact the process of decision making and also their overall health. These dilemmas also challenge the ethical conduct of “informed consent” established by the Nursing and the Midwifery Board of Australia that dictates that every medical procedure or treatment must be applied only after gaining consent from the patient that is valid with all the pre-requisite information adequately shared (Nursing and midwifery Board of Australia, 2020). The nurses function as advocates of the health for the patient and they must ensure the patient beneficence. Therefore, it is common in critical and conflicting situations that the nurses must act ethically and resolve dilemmas with a competent approach.

The decision-making process of the patient can be impacted by several factors. These include the social and cultural factors, financial stability, and family considerations that dictate the process of decision making in the patient (Lyu & Zhang, 2018). Therefore, the healthcare professionals must have an empathetic and competent approach to be able to understand the patient needs, provide the required patient knowledge and facilitate the process of decision making to ensure the better health outcomes for the patient. The socio-cultural factors have a significant impact on the process of decision making of the patients regarding the application of medical interventions. For instance, in a study published by Banham et al. (2019), it is illustrated that women belonging to the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander community are less likely to undergo mastectomy or breast removal surgeries in complex breast cancer cases due to prevailing stereotypes and beliefs in the community along with a lingering fear of social acceptance.

Treatment and management of HIV AIDS is also another essential example of how stigmatization of the disease can impact the process of healthcare access, decision making, and the course of treatment for the patient suffering (Rubens et al., 2018). Another essential factor that can impact the process of decision making in the patients is financial capabilities. The course of treatment and medical intervention may not be feasible for the patient and therefore impact their decision towards the treatment. When the patient denies the treatment or takes a decision that can impact the health and wellness, the nurses often face a dilemma where they have to choose between the autonomy, informed consent, and patient’s beneficence (Basak & Serit, 2019).

Overcoming these dilemmas also requires the inclusion of leadership skills and an intricate understanding of the factors that have affected the process of decision making for the patient. It is ideal for the nurses to ensure that they follow the code of ethics primarily in the course of their decision making and taking the steps towards the wellbeing of the patient (Muskens et al., 2019). A code of conduct serves as a stencil to abide by in the process of nursing as it ensures that the patient receives the highest quality care and their decisions are respected by the care professionals (Ngene et al., 2019). The nurses must also educate the patients and their carers about the consequences as well as the benefits of the intervention to facilitate the process for the patients. It is also the responsibility of the nurses to inform the patients about the healthcare services that are subsidized through policies and programs of medical insurance like MEDICARE so that the patient is able to consider the treatment without the financial constraints.

These dilemmas can have a significant impact on healthcare practice (Banham et al., 2019). The nurses function as the primary source of information for the healthcare-related concerns of the patients. It, therefore, becomes essential for the professionals to share the honest and adequate information and provide suitable knowledge in the process of decision making of the patient (Choi et al., 2019). Inability to do so, can impact the nurse-patient relationship affecting the overall quality of care and hindering the communication and correspondence with the healthcare professionals. Inability to resolve these dilemmas can also affect the patient health and impact the service of healthcare professionals. It is, therefore, suitable to convey the concern directly when it professional is not being able to resolve it individually (Choi, 2018). A collaborative effort in nursing can, therefore, ensure a higher quality of care and help in the resolution of arising conflicts and dilemmas.

This paper summarizes how the ethical dilemmas in nursing can arise where the healthcare professional might have to choose between the patient beneficence and autonomy in the process of decision making. These conflicts may arise due to various factors and must be dealt with ethical considerations and development of empathy and competence. Collaboration and assistance from the seniors along with providing adequate patient education for effective decision making can also be beneficial. The impacts of not being able to resolve these dilemmas can be significant as it can impact the patient and the healthcare professional interrelationship affecting the overall course of treatment and may also lead to healthcare-related implications for the patient that must be avoided to ensure highest quality care and health promotion of the individuals.

References for Ethical Dilemma in Nursing

Banham, D., Roder, D., Keefe, D., Farshid, G., Eckert, M., Howard, N., ... & Brown, A. (2019). Disparities in breast screening, stage at diagnosis, cancer treatment and the subsequent risk of cancer death: A retrospective, matched cohort of aboriginal and non-aboriginal women with breast cancer. BMC Health Services Research, 19(1), 387.

Basak, T., & Cerit, B. (2019). Comparing two teaching methods on nursing students' ethical decision-making level. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 29, 15-23.

Choi, E. Y. (2018). Ethical dilemma and professionalism of long-term care hospital nurses. The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology, 4(1), 153-163.

Choi, M. Y., So, H. S., & Ko, E. (2019). Influences of occupational stress, ethical dilemma, and burnout on turnover intention in hospital nurses. Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing, 26(1), 42-51.

Government of Australia (2018). Australian Charter of healthcare rights. 

Lyu, C., & Zhang, L. (2018). Who decides in withdrawal of treatment in a critical care setting? A case study on ethical dilemma. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 5(3), 310-314.

Muskens, I. S., Gupta, S., Robertson, F. C., Moojen, W. A., Kolias, A. G., Peul, W. C., & Broekman, M. L. (2019). When time is critical, is informed consent less so? A discussion of patient autonomy in emergency neurosurgery. World Neurosurgery, 125, 336-340.

Ngene, N. C., Onyia, C. O., & Moodley, J. (2019). Requesting a patient to document her decision for refusal of hospital treatment promotes beneficence. Journal of Clinical Nursing,109(1), 9-9.

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2018). Code of conduct. 

Rainer, J., Schneider, J. K., & Lorenz, R. A. (2018). Ethical dilemmas in nursing: An integrative review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27(19-20), 3446-3461.

Rubens, M., Saxena, A., Ramamoorthy, V., McCoy, H. V., Beck-Sagué, C., Jean-Gilles, M., ... & Dévieux, J. G. (2018). HIV-related stigma, quality of care, and coping skills: Exploring factors affecting treatment adherence among PLWH in Haiti. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 29(4), 570-579.

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