Moral decisions are founded on nurses' ethical awareness and entail a complex process
of watching, assessing, and considering the potential implications of choice. Nurses are
motivated by the ideal of care and the desire to "do well." Doing well for a patient requires
thinking about their well-being, the quality of their treatment, and their dignity. To put it
another way, the patient's lifeworld is considered. Adopting a lifeworld perspective in care, as
Todres et al. emphasize, necessitates nurses focusing their attention on the patients' lifeworld
and existential difficulties. This includes an existential collaboration that recognizes the
patient and experts' differing levels of expertise and comprehension. As a result, a caring
practice views the patient as an expert in dealing with their sickness.
An article titled “The patient suicide attempt – An ethical dilemma case study authored
by Lin Jie, (2015) has clear example of ethical dilemma. According to the patient's case, Mr.
Green, who has end-stage aggressive prostate cancer and has been given 4–6 weeks to live,
announces his suicide attempt to nursing staff and asks that the nurse not notify anyone else. The
nursing staff was put in a difficult situation due to the patient's behavior, which might be
classified as an ethical dilemma. In reference to the 8th tenet of the nursing code, the nurse should
always collaborate with other health professionals and promote health diplomacy, (American
Nurses Association, 2015). However, in references to Chen, Lee & Huang et al. (2016) in these
ethically challenging situations, nurses must make decisions based on bioethical concepts such as
autonomy, beneficence, Nonmaleficence, and fairness. Respect for autonomy refers to an
individual's personal values and views, as well as his or her right to make treatment and care
decisions based on those values and beliefs. Patients must be able to make informed decisions
and act based on knowledge, according to clinical healthcare specialists (Chen, Lee & Huang et
al. 2016). Non-maleficence is the obligation not to hurt others, whereas beneficence is the
commitment to benefit others. All actions and decisions relating to a patient's treatment and care
must be based on a thorough assessment of what is most helpful for the patient, taking into
account the patient's best interests (Chen, Lee & Huang et al. 2016). The concept of justice
entails making ethical decisions based on fairness and equality. Justice entails following
universal laws that include respect for autonomy, objectivity, and a positive mindset (Chen, Lee
& Huang et al. 2016).
However, when working in teams with fellow nurses and colleagues from other
disciplines, practical communication skills are vital. It is also critical to provide patient-centered
care. Nurses who take the time to listen to and understand their patients' concerns are better
equipped to deal with problems when they emerge, which leads to better patient outcomes
(Kourkouta, & Papathanasiou, 2014). Poor communication, or a lack of communication, on the
other hand, can cause teamwork failures, which can lead to medical blunders. The nurse must
inform her colleagues of the patient’s suicidal thoughts.
References
American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics with interpretative statements. Silver
Spring, MD: Author. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org
Chen PP, Lee HL, Huang SH, et al. (2016). Nurses’ perspectives on moral distress: a Q
methodology approach. Nurs Ethics 2016; 25(6): 734–745.
Kourkouta, L., & Papathanasiou, I. V. (2014). Communication in Nursing Practice. Retrieved
fromEhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3990376/
Lin Jie, (2015). The patient suicide attempt – An ethical dilemma case study, International
Journal of Nursing Sciences, Volume 2, Issue 4, 2015, Pages 408-413, ISSN 2352-
0132,
