Ethics in Nursing What current ethical issue related to nursing or access to care did you choose to describe?

Therapeutic lying is my subject of choice -- whether or not nurses/care providers cross their ethical boundaries when they lie to patients about their health conditions, or when they withhold information that they perceive as unfavorable and which they believe would be detrimental to the patient's recovery process. A nurse has an ethical and legal duty to be honest with their patient and at the same time look out for their well-being -- so how should one act when these two elements appear to be in conflict?

What are the relevant laws, regulations or policy related to this issue?

The law recognizes the nurse-patient relationship as a fiduciary relationship. Under fiduciary law, the fiduciary (the nurse in this case) is expected to act in the best interests of the agent at all times. This includes...

The dilemma arises in situations where truthful disclosure is likely to compromise the very interest of the person the fiduciary seeks to protect.
What ethical principles are at issue here?

The paternity, nonmaleficence, and fidelity principles are at play in this regard. The first two appear to be in support of therapeutic lying as they require providers to refrain from engaging in actions likely to cause their patients distress and anguish. The fidelity principle, however, faults the idea of lying, requiring providers to always be truthful and honest with their patients, regardless of the circumstances.

Propose a Resolution to this Issue

The issue could be resolved within the framework of deontological ethics, which is based on the premise that a wrong action does not become right, just because it yields…