Dimension of Nursing Practice 5d

Ethical Nursing Practice

For this discussion you will be examining ethical nursing practice. In three to five paragraphs answer the following questions.

1. Define in your own words "ethical nursing practice."

2. Describe the basis or framework you used for your definition.

3. Explain the difference between legal and ethical nursing practice.

4. Discuss one ethical or bioethical dilemma a nurse may encounter and describe how it could be handled.

Please make your initial post, and respond to at least two other student's post. APA format with rereferences and in-text citation

Rola : 1st post to reply

Define in your own words "ethical nursing practice.

Ethical nursing practice refers to the application of ethical principles and values in providing care to patients. It ensures that patient autonomy, dignity, and rights are respected while delivering high-quality care that promotes well-being (Haahr et al., 2019). The ethical nursing practice also entails honesty, trustworthiness, and compassion in all interactions with patients, colleagues, and the wider community. It is the foundation of the nursing profession and is essential in establishing and maintaining trust between patients and nurses. Ultimately, ethical nursing practice is about doing the right thing for patients while upholding the values and principles of the nursing profession.

Describe the basis or framework you used for your definition.

My definition is derived from the fundamental principles of ethics. These principles include autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice. Autonomy refers to the right of patients to make decisions about their care and treatment (Haahr et al., 2019). Nurses must respect patients' autonomy and involve them in decisions about their care, providing them with the necessary information to make informed decisions. Non-maleficence requires nurses to avoid causing harm to patients. Nurses must ensure that their actions do not harm patients through omission or commission. Beneficence involves doing good and promoting the well-being of patients. Nurses must provide patient-centered, compassionate care of the highest quality, aiming to improve their patient's health outcomes. Justice requires nurses to treat all patients fairly and equitably, regardless of their social status, race, or ethnicity. Nurses must ensure that care is provided to patients based on their clinical needs and not on any other factors (Haahr et al., 2019). Together, these principles form the basis of ethical nursing practice, guiding nurses in providing respectful, compassionate, and patient-centered care while upholding the nursing profession's principles.

Explain the difference between legal and ethical nursing practice.

Legal nursing practice and ethical nursing practice are two distinct but interrelated concepts. Legal nursing practice refers to the laws, rules, and regulations that govern nursing practice in a particular state or country. These laws define the scope of practice, licensing requirements, and the standards of care nurses are expected to follow (Stock, 2019). Regulatory bodies enforce legal nursing practice, and violating these laws can result in disciplinary action, including revocation of a nurse's license. For example, in the United States, the state boards of nursing enforce legal nursing practice. On the other hand, ethical nursing practice goes beyond the legal requirements and involves adhering to professional standards and ethical principles. 

Ethical nursing practice refers to the application of ethical principles and values in providing care to patients. It ensures that patient autonomy, dignity, and rights are respected while delivering high-quality care that promotes well-being. The ethical nursing practice also entails honesty, trustworthiness, and compassion in all interactions with patients, colleagues, and the wider community. Ethical nursing practice is not enforced by regulatory bodies but by the nursing profession through professional codes of ethics. In comparison, legal and ethical nursing practices are related but not always the same (Stock, 2019). Nurses can follow legal nursing practice requirements without necessarily adhering to ethical principles. For example, a nurse may fulfill the legal requirement of documenting a patient's medical record but may not provide compassionate care or respect the patient's autonomy.

Discuss one ethical or bioethical dilemma a nurse may encounter and describe how it could be handled.

One ethical dilemma a nurse may encounter is whether to disclose confidential patient information to a family member or caregiver. For example, suppose a patient requests that their medical information be kept confidential, but a family member insists on knowing their loved one's health status. In that case, the nurse is faced with an ethical dilemma. The nurse should prioritize the patient's autonomy and privacy rights to handle this situation. The nurse should communicate with the patient and explain the importance of confidentiality and their right to privacy (Haahr et al., 2019). If the patient agrees, the nurse could discuss the information with the family member or caregiver, but only to the extent permitted by the patient. Suppose the patient does not agree to disclose the information. In that case, the nurse should respect their wishes and explain to the family member or caregiver that they cannot disclose the information without the patient's permission. The nurse could also offer alternative ways of supporting the family member or caregiver, such as providing general information about the patient's condition or referring them to resources that could help them cope.

  

References

Tabi: 2nd post to reply

The ethics of nursing practice require the nurse to make morally right choices when caring for their clients. There are some issues that the nursing team may encounter, for example, protecting the client’s rights, staffing problems, autonomy, and informed consent to treatment. 

An ethical issue is a conflict between right and wrong decisions. Ethics are mainly presented by human individual systems of behaviors and beliefs. Nurses provide care to clients to ensure the protection of their rights. The nurses provide this care at the risk of their own personal health and mental well-being. Ethical issues in nursing are important decisions that need to be made by the nursing staff. 

Legal nursing practice is a set of rules and laws that are governed. The definition of laws is rules of social conduct made by humans to protect society, based on concerns about fairness and justice. There are laws (legal) that govern nursing, and most are state-level statutory laws. These are state-level laws because licensure is a function of the state’s authority. There are laws governing nursing because sometimes nurses can get involved in some serious criminal activity and violations can occur. If a nurse is involved in any criminal actions, illegal diversions, or any type of crime, this may even lead a nurse to imprisonment or a criminal action lawsuit against them. There are many types of actions that nurses could do that will also lead to lawsuits, for example, negligence, misconduct, malpractice, non-maleficence, etc.

Ethical dilemmas are situations that occur when nurses are working. The situations allow nurses to use sound decisions and stay unbiased and non-judgmental as possible. I will use abortion for instance, if a client comes in for a pregnancy test and finds out that she is pregnant, and the client begins to cry. When the client explains her frustration and confusion about keeping or aborting the baby, as a nurse in this situation, there are multiple things that can be done. As a nurse, I would use my nursing judgment, listening skills, empathy, and sympathy to handle the client's dilemma. I would give the client time to think about her decision and give her handouts, pregnancy pamphlets, and abortion pamphlets. As a nurse, I would try to make the client feel comfortable and make sound ethical decisions on the client's behav. As a nurse, an ethical decision can be hard, use good judgment and do what’s best for the client.