Nursing Ethics Essays (Examples)

Nursing Ethics

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, medical technology has advanced enough to provide certain measures to keep the body "alive," but not necessarily the brain or the cognitive functions that make up quality of life (O'Keefe-McCarthy, 2009). Despite the fact that death is a cyclical part of life, humans still have a very difficult time dealing with issues surrounding terminal illness: hospice, do not resuscitate, costs for survival, euthanasia, and conversations about end of life planning. For the modern Nurse leader, the core of the philosophical and psychological debate seems to focus on two viewpoints. One believes that the individual has control over their body and the decisions surrounding their quality of life. he other view takes on a more moral and religious stance, believing that life is divinely created and that nurses and doctors, in particular, have society's trust and the responsibility to preserve life…

Nursing Ethics

Ethical Dilemma

Ethics

Identify the potential ethical dilemma

A nurse accused of stealing. She is a good nurse but cannot be allowed to continue stealing and breaking the law while she is performing her duties.

Collect, analyze, and interpret data

Nurses must protect clients' well-being, even while they strive to support other nurses. The case study is presented in such a manner which suggests that the nurse manager is fairly certain, given the evidence she has observed, that this individual is the party responsible for the series of thefts.

State the dilemma

A nurse-manager has an unequivocal ethical responsibility to report any suspected crimes. However, this could destroy the goodwill on the ward and impede the community of nurses from working together and getting things done. Also, the crime may be difficult to prove and cause divisiveness on the ward.

Can the dilemma be resolved by the nurse?…

In terms of underage drinking, a nurse can act in a public health manner that identifies circumstances and situations that make a population vulnerable, and take steps to either mitigate those circumstances or educate to prevent them in the first place.

Colleagues -- Nursing is never a field in isolation. Instead, it works with a number of colleagues in various disciplines to support health issues. This would include teachers, school administrators, and members of the retail establishment that all might have an effect on underage drinking and the problems associated. Because nurses are advocates for health, they are often consulted by colleagues. In the reverse, nurses should network and advocate programs that seek to reduce situations that make a population vulnerable -- in this case, the buying and selling of alcohol to the underage; restricting venues in which drinking might be allowed; and working with the community to provide an…

Would the advance(s) keep the patient alive just to keep her/him alive, or would the patient be capable of a productive and enjoyable way of living?

These questions lead right into the code of ethics and the very first one deals with the respect for human dignity.

Human dignity can encompass a variety of components and it must be considered when applying bioethics or ethics in general to prolonging someone's life for the sake of medicine and not for the sake of human dignity. The next item on the list was values held by the patient. Respect for their individual value system should be of ultimate concern for the nurse in regards to treatment. As an example; if the patient's religion affords them the comfort of an afterlife, then it should considered. The patient's beliefs and values should be placed first in priority. Along with that value system is autonomy…

This is more complicated by the prevalence of other mental disorders like dementia and drug induced mood swings. Nurses need to be well trained in pattern recognition and logical assessment of the condition and take suitable action to solve these problems. [Steve Lliffe, 107]

The failure to manage these symptoms would result in increased suffering and poor quality of life in the end stage. In a 1993 study conducted on 295 patients admitted for palliative care it was found that 99% of the patients had asthenia (fatigue) while more than 76% reported pain. Another study by Coyle et al. In 1990 revealed that in 75% of patients in palliative care there is usually a combination of symptoms. (Fatigue, pain, anorexia) etc. [Kim Kubler] Asides DNR, there are other morally distressing issues for the nurses to handle. For example, food intake would stop during the final hours of the patient as…

Nursing Ethics

A strong ethical component undergirds the nursing profession. Nurses have an express duty to care, and we are driven by the desire to help others. When completing the "My Nursing Ethic" questionnaire, I was asked to search for the roots of my passion and motivation. I was also asked to consider who or what inspires me, and to whom I am loyal. It is this latter question that becomes the most challenging, because nurses will often discover they have conflicting loyalties. Most of the ethical challenges I have encountered as a nurse stem from my grappling with conflicting roles, duties, and responsibilities.

Although we may try to cultivate objectivity, our background, beliefs, and worldviews prevent nurses from being completely unbiased in our approach. We are human beings, not robots. The personal, cultural, and spiritual values that have contributed to my worldview, and continue to do so, shape my…

Ethics and Morality

Ethical Analysis: A Nursing Situation

Ethical Analysis

Identify the nursing issue

In ancient times, nurses used to take orders from other senior professionals where they were then permitted to initiate routine procedures. Their intellectual skills and reasoning were not valued or fostered. The approach to nursing made any decision regarding medical and ethical issues at the discretion of the doctors. However, nurses in modern settings have realized the therapeutic potential where patients are involved in treatment decisions and course of care. Changes within the nursing profession reflect their desire to be contributory and responsible to the patients' welfare (Peirce & Smith, 2013). Therefore, people who face influences from major decisions dislike policies from unilateral decision-making process. The diversion appears when nurses have good reasons to act and face treatment consequences during daily works.

A 42-year-old woman had malignant breast lump, which was realized after numerous tests were…

Nurses can help family members by educating them on the dying process and the various signs to look for so they can plan their hospital time accordingly (Life Support http://www.deathreference.com/Ke-Ma/Life-Support-System.html).

It is important for nurses to recognize individual beliefs and traditions when it comes to the dying process and respect those in the families they work with. If a family believes a dying family member should have oil placed gently on the forehead the nurse can help the family accept the pending death of their loved one by allowing anything non-intrusive to be done. Whether the nurse agrees with the belief or not is not important, what is important is that the nurse respects the wishes of the family as much as possible while still providing required medical care.

Machines and medications keeping life support viable does not mean the person is still alive. Nursing professionals often have to help…

Her carative elements strive to "honor the human levels of nursing's work and the inner life world and subjective experiences of individuals we serve" (Watson, 1997, p. 50). The 2 instances of these carative elements, which were later on altered to caritas consider 2001, in medical practice are "establishing and sustaining a helping-trusting, genuine caring relationship" and "existing to, and supportive of, the expression of favorable and adverse sensations as an association with deeper spirit of self and the one-being-cared- for" (Watson, 2001, p. 347).

Ethical decision-making model

To develop this faithful, caring connection with the client, the registered nurse has to be self-aware of any critical sensations that can promote his/her crossing limits into intimacy. Caring needs the registered nurse to have a meaningful relationship within themselves and to the spirit within the client. Watson's caring model needs the registered nurse to appear at the individuality of the specific…

ethics provided key inspiration for others looking to apply a more practical application of the ethics within a 21st century organization. The article essentially attempted to redefine ethics and the role ethics play, or should play, within the context of organizational leadership. This pedagogical approach to ethical inclusion within leadership style is highlighted throughout this article and new models, approaches and philosophies are introduced to help guide the reader through this author's writings.

To help give the new understanding of the idea of ethics in the modern world, the idea of globalization is used to help contextualize how ethics may be approached according to this author. A key definition is introduced that premised the article when the author wrote " the lack of universal, organizational ethical standard has prompted the exploration of what is right and what is wrong, often resulting in the crossing of known and perceived boundaries with…

This is a theoretical approach which assumes that the nurse will base all treatment decisions on an interest in achieving the patient's best overall health outcome. In light of this, there may be great value in approaching treatment with a cultural sensitivity to the diversity of needs which accompany the inherent diversity of individuals to be treated. Here, the healthcare practitioner must be particular immune to prejudices of an ethnic, racial, sexual or personal nature, with equal treatment quality and personal attention expected for all patrons of the medical system. This is why it is important for members of the healthcare community to be acquainted not just with the idea of a multitude of groups in its public, but with some level of understanding as to how different ethnic groups endure different health scenarios. The way that the nursing professional approaches healing -- with respect to the balance of personal…

Ethics

Nursing Ethics

Professional Nursing Ethics

It is not a good idea, but it is possible to become a nurse today without knowing what the Nightingale Pledge is and more important, what it represents. The reason it is not a good idea is simple; nursing is a field that carries with it a great social, moral and ethical responsibility. This accountability is now guided by the Code of Ethics with Interpretive Statements; however, the original blueprint was the Nightingale Pledge. We could consider that original pledge as nursing's equivalent to the physicians' Hippocratic Oath. In other words, the modern version of the Nightingale Pledge, the Code of Ethics with Interpretive Statements, is a thorough guide that helps both new and old nurse's alike carry out their responsibilities in a way that also meets all ethical duties required by the profession. The Nightingale Pledge has evolved for more than a century…

Specifically, they failed to change gloves in-between cleaning incontinent patients and subsequently applying ointment to other parts of the body, and handling patients' clean bed linens, food trays, and personal belongings. One several occasions, I witnessed nurse's aides fail to change gloves in-between different patients. I saw a phlebotomist unnecessarily contaminate sterile dressings by careless handling. When questioned, she responded that her method was more time efficient. I also noticed everyone from nurse's aides to senior residents routinely place containers used for waste collection onto food carts, in some cases after picking them up off the floor.

In general, it seems to me that the routine of sometimes mundane or repetitive tasks -- even in the healthcare profession -- leads to carelessness and an apathetic attitude on the part of people entrusted to ensure the health and welfare of vulnerable patients.

Without condemning any of my colleagues for their lapses,…

2008).. This points to the ethical responsibility of nurse educators -- it is not enough to treat the disease, bit one must treat the patient.

Failure to provide the proper level of education to a patient is certainly one way to fail them both ethically and medically, bit the opposite can also be true. That is, it is possible to provide too much care -- what is deemed "medically futile care" -- and this also raises very serious ethical issues in the realm of respiratory illnesses (Sibbald et al. 2007). This particular stuffy found that insufficient communication among the medical team was one of the primary causes for prolonging futile care, which often means increasing and/or prolonging a patient's discomfort without any reasonable expectation of an improvement in their condition (Sibbald et al. 2007).

The ethical choice here, of course, is to end care (with the consent of the patient…

Ethics in Nursing

Every professional in the field of healthcare has a special responsibility and obligation to treat patients with care and dignity -- and at all times there should be an ethical approach as well. Nurses, too, is a vitally important component of healthcare, are nurses are certainly bound by ethical rules and values, and this paper delves into the various aspects of ethics in nursing.

Ethics and Nursing

"Codes of ethics refer to systems of rules and principles by which a profession is expected to regulate the moral behavior of its members and demonstrate its responsibility to society" (Numminen, et al., 2011, p. 710).

Ethics in nursing boils down to taking responsibility for providing good care to patients, being fair, professional and just, Zane olf writes in the peer-reviewed journal Nursing. But there is more to it than just offering professional care, olf continues. The author, who is…

Nurse-Patient Relations

The main focus of this essay is going to concern the nurse-patient relationship idea, and why it is important. This was chosen because the researcher desired to achieve a better accepting of how a helpful nurse-patient relationship can be advanced and even from different theorists who have discovered this idea. In this essay, the researcher sets out to demonstrate what they have learnt regarding the nurse-patient relation concept and how this connection can utilized in the clinical practice setting. T The nurse patient connection, according to a study done by Press Gamey Associates Inc., creates the quality of the care experience and generates an influential influence on patient gratification. Nurses will a lot of their time with patients. Patients see nurses' relations with people among the care team and make their own conclusions about the hospital founded on what they are observing. Furthermore, nurses' approaches toward their vocation,…

107) could also apply here. The confidentiality clause in such a case then only applies insofar as it is estimated that there is no need to disclose confidential information to others. In the case of Mrs. Z, her family deserves to know about her situation, because it affects their lives pertinently.

Because of the increasing cultural diversity throughout the world, cultural values also play an important part in making ethical decisions in the nursing profession. In the case of Mrs. Z, for example, she appears to have no powers of decision making either in her home or in society in general. Inside the home, her mother-in-law runs the household, while her husband is in charge of important decisions. This could have a significant influence upon her decision not to disclose her condition to her family.

According to Karahanne, Evaristo and Srite (2006, p. 34), for example, also note that cultures…

It is saddening to note that as hospital stays grow more expensive, patients are getting less care and families must resort to the private sector and pay still more money to feel as though their loved ones are being treated competently. The problems are rife, legally in terms of liability and medically in terms of nursing conflicts over patient treatment. There is also the ethical issue that the poor are getting less decent care than the rich, because poor families cannot provide private nurses. Clearly, hiring private nurses or assistants is not the solution to an overburdened medical system, but families will continue to do so to protect their loved ones until a better solution is achieved by policy makers.

Poststroke Rehabilitation

Deutsch, Anne, Rodger C. Fielder & Kenneth J. Ottenbacher. Stroke. 37 (Jun

006):1477-148.

Rehabilitation after a stroke is a critical part of the healing process. The article attempts…

Nursing Definitions

Autonomy

Autonomy in the nursing profession states the importance of the client's role in making decisions that reflect advocacy for the client (Wade, 1999, p.310). Ultimately, this includes taking care of the patient physically as well as mentally and emotionally, developing a relationship with the patient that is beneficial to his care and actively advocating for the patient's rights and care. This type of autonomy, it is important to note, is not the same as individual or work autonomy, yet it must be considered that empowerment in nursing autonomy will inevitably lead to better professional and personal autonomy and should also lead to increased job satisfaction (Wade, 1999, p.310).

Typical definitions of autonomy would include the idea of complete independence for the person making the decisions. However, in the case of the nursing profession, the client's needs and desires must be heavily weighed and, in fact, become central…

Nursing

Is there a limit to one's professional obligation to the patient? Is that the same as advocacy?

Advocacy can be construed as a professional obligation to the patient, especially when advocacy is framed as an ethical obligation. There are therefore few limits to a nurse's ethical responsibilities to the patients, even though some situations may seem morally ambiguous. Many nursing researchers promote the concept of patient advocacy as "an ethic of practice," one that is an immutable part of the professional responsibilities of the nurse. (Gaylord & Grace, 1995, p. 11).

Are the characteristics of caring relevant to 2010?

The characteristics of caring are more relevant in 2011 than they were in 2010 or have ever been before, in part because of increasing patient diversity. Knowledge of the different concepts of health, healing, illness, and the role of the doctor helps make nurses more accountable to patient needs. Viewing…

Ethics

Before resuming my educational endeavors at the University of Phoenix I was fortunate enough to experience life and many of its travails as a business person and employee. During my tenure in those endeavors I observed a number of events that I considered unethical, and a number of actions taken by individuals that I found both reprehensible and repulsive. I was often amazed at the capabilities of mankind to justify their actions, when it was quite evident that such actions would not be considered ethical in any circumstances, no matter what the justification.

Ethics has always been a concern, whether individuals worked in education, business or even the medical field. One early study determined that there were many young managers that had reported being asked implicitly to do things they personally believed were unethical, and sometimes illegal (Badzek, Mitchell, Marra, Bower,1998). Oftentimes these young managers feel the pressure to…

Nurse Patient atios and Quality of Care

This study reviews the broad level of issues that surround the nurse/patient ratio: a critical shortage of trained and experienced nurses; increased political and fiscal demands from all sectors of society; rising costs internally and externally combined with a rising number of under-insured; and the conundrum of nursing ethics and the ability to foster excellence in care and patient advocacy. We note that there remains an issue about hiring more nurses -- where will these nurses come from if the nursing schools do not increase their recruitment efforts and broaden their curriculum. In addition, we note that the large majority of patients and stakeholders primarily want two things when admitted to a healthcare facility: better paid nurses and more highly-trained professionals who are satisfied with their vocation.

Introduction

Modern nursing is, by necessity, a mixture of complex balance: patient care vs. staffing; procedures…

Nursing Ethics

While most hospitals seem to be well-run and most situations and scenarios are planned for in advance when it comes to what nurses should be doing, should not be doing and why, this is not always the case. Just one example of this would be situations where palliative care is probably or definitely called for in a given situation but there is not a defined or clear protocol as to when the palliative path should be started and what criteria should be used. Indeed, patients that are facing such a situation are typically terminal or they at least cannot be treated for what is ailing them. An easy example to point to would be a cancer patient whose disease is beyond what medicine can do for them. When there is an absence of leadership when it comes to palliative care protocols, it falls to nurses to collaborate, work…

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…

Nursing and eligion Practice

ELIGION AND NUSING PACTICE

Nursing success depends on the ability to put the patient in a state of rest and comfort as much as it is about administering the prescriptions of the doctor. To secure the rest of the patient, nurses need to understand their needs and show respect to their beliefs and values. This requires courteous and open communication with the patient and adopting a patient-centric orientation. Along with other factors, the religious background of the patient makes a lot of difference to their values and expectations. eligious doctrines and practices may differ across religions and denominations such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, Seventh Day Adventists and Scientologists and may impose restrictions on certain kinds of interaction between nurse and patient or on certain forms of treatment. Moreover, people with a different religious background are not usually aware of such differences. Therefore, it is necessary for…

Ethics to Practice: Analysis of 'end of life' decision making

The foregoing discussion is an incursion into nursing ethics. Implication(s) to 'omission' of information as a customary practice within our healthcare institution is reviewed in relation to best practices pertaining to 'informed consent,' and hospital policy is not definitive. Directed at the evolution of ethical decision making, the general query to the study focuses on the parameters of informed consent where individual practice is concerned.

In the nation of Canada where I am a nurse the number of situations where patient informed consent decisions might be subject to our national code of nursing ethics is many. e face critical ethical dilemmas every day, as emergency procedures and critical care interventions are standard practice. Complexity in decision making is furthered in the conduct and approaches made by international colleagues on contract in our institution by way of exchange.

The primacy of…

Nursing and Ethics

The emotional debate over abortion had been mischaracterized in the media, and hence disrupted any positive attempt to make progress in resolving the ethical and medical problems which have been created by the practice. A majority of Americans recognize and desire that abortion should be available when the life of the mother is at risk, or in the cases of rape or incest. However, liberal proponets like to expand this definition under the ubiquitous definition of the 'mothers health' which has been used to justify abortion on demand, for any reason. This latter expanded definition is significantly opposed by a majority of the ameircan population. In the midst of this struggle, comes the person needing medical care, who has neither been properly informed as to the dangers of the paractive, nor adequately counseled as to the options which exist regarding the future of her unborn child. The…

Nursing Ethics

y Nursing Ethic

PASSION: Why am I here?

I am here to learn and become a better person through the service and love of others. I am here because I need to earn money to stay alive and nursing provides that type of material sustenance. I am passionate about many things, and I like to accomplish goals that are challenging and transformative in nature. There are many aspects to nursing and nursing school that provide the necessary components to the things that can make me a better person, in mind body and soul.

I am also here because I love to serve others to satisfy my own personal needs. I feel better about myself when I am helping others. This may seem selfish in some ways, but those that need my help will surely welcome it if they are willing. I am passionate about making this world a…

Ethical Issue
One of the most important ethical issues in nursing is how to approach end-of-life care. Nurses have a duty to provide compassionate care in ways that respects the individual’s autonomy and dignity. As patients live longer due to advancements in medical care, nurses are increasingly being faced with care options that extend life, versus options that do not extend life but which promote quality of life through a greater acceptance of death. A related issue is physician-assisted suicide. When physician-assisted suicide is legal, nurses may have this option presented to them by patients, creating ethical dilemmas. This paper will examine multiple sides of the end-of-life issue, showing that while there is no easy or “right” solution, individual cases should highlight the means by which nurses can always ascribe to their professional duties and the ethical standards of the profession.
Point of View: Quality of Life Over Quantity
Legal…

The prescriptions include wisdom, honesty, and courage, as well as human dignity, integrity, respect, health, and independence.

Part 3: Formulate possible evidence-based practices and an action plan that could work towards achieving improvement outcomes.

Provide insight into the diagnostic processes (e.g., root cause analysis) used to determine the primary causes of the problem. Consider both qualitative (cause-effect diagram, barrier analysis), and quantitative (theory testing or drill down analysis) methods.

Analyze the cost-effectiveness of your initiative and how your initiative mitigates risk and improves health care outcomes.

Countless interventions have been used for fall prevention amongst the elderly population. These include risk-assessment and management programs, I.e. Designed to screen those who are most at risk and to design interventions that will reduce their risk of falling; exercise programs slanted dot enhancing flexibility, endurance, and strength; education programs (including one-to -one counseling on methods to prevent falls); environmental modification in homes or…

nursing -- caring, empathy and ethics. The author (Lachman, 2012) uses numerous examples, each of which show the positive impacts of caring. Along with examples of ethical decisions that must be made, and with theories on caring and empathy put forward by scholars, the paper examines morality, competence, and the "reciprocal" relationships between nurses and their patients. That is, caring for a patient is reciprocal because if the needs of the patient are met, there is reciprocity -- the giving of care and the receiving and acknowledgement of that care giving.

Summary of Key Points

On page 113 Lachman references several leading theorists and scholars that have provided important research and results on nursing ethics and the caring concepts alluded to in the Introduction. Dr. Jean atson has a caring theory (112) that has three main components: a) carative factors; b) the "transpersonal caring relationship"; and c) the "caring occasion/caring…

The respondents who step out to be part of the research process should be protected from any unwanted intrusion or any other form of personal or group harassment (Smith & Liehr, 2008).

It is formal to have and conduct nursing research according to the set ethical frameworks where the entire review of the proposal will be undertaken. Whether to be undertaken by the staff or students, this research should be subjected to ethical approvals, which will make sure that the research, proposal is directed at serving the nursing school dream and intentions. Using the Middle range theory, the nursing problems and challenges will be solved in various ways as follows (Smith & Liehr, 2003).

All the nursing researchers and educators, being the staff members, must have respect upon the dignity, interests, and rights of the nursing students and other staff members related and participating in practical and theoretical learning.

Any…

Nursing is a challenging profession where nurses take care of patients dealing with mental or physical illness. Nurses are the primary contact points for the patients since they are the ones who check patients' vital signs before giving them appointments to the physician or professional doctor. In this paper, the healthcare stressor would be discussed in detail so that its competing needs are determined, and a policy should be recommended to reduce the stressor. Moreover, the ethical considerations would also be debated for the policy application and its strengths and issues.
The two competing needs that impact nurse's burnout are increased demand for patient care and administrative procedures. The physical health problems in the form of anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc., adversely affect the nurse's health and cause burnout (Salyers et al., 2017). Nurses' functioning is negatively affected as they are forced to take frequent breaks due to tiredness, lethargy, staying…

Ethical Dilemma esolutions

The ethical requirements in the medical profession are greater than in most others. The issue of health and trust are most exemplified in medical practices, and the need for open and honest connections are very important. This is nothing new, but the demands of nursing in today's day and age due to technological advances and social and political reform have impacted the very core of the nursing profession. "Nurses are experiencing new ethical issues as a result of global developments and changes in health care. With health care becoming increasingly sophisticated, and countries facing challenges of graying population, ethical issues involved in health care are bound to expand in quantity and in depth. Nurses need to critically think through their decisions, be willing to be flexible, and know what they do and do not know, as well as be aware of the many ways to approach a…

Nursing Documentation

Importance of the Issue

Nurse need to keep the records and specific information about their patients. The services in the hospitals require that every detail of the patients be kept in the records. For patients whose conditions recur, record helps the medical practitioners understand the health history of the patient. Proper records in the hospital are helpful in patient transfers (Voyer et al. 2014). Often, patient referrals are common in hospitals and thus records help the doctors in the new hospital to attend to the needs of the patient. The family members of the patients require the health records of their patients to arrange for better treatments. The law requires the nurses to keep records of the nature of services they offer to the patients. Often, the records of each patient are permanents in the hospital where they are kept physically or electronically. Records are essential because they…

ethics prepared here, is based on two primary sources, (Callahan, 2012) and (achels, 2012). The article discusses the need to legalize and regulate voluntary active euthanasia in the United States (U.S.).

Can We eturn Death to Disease?

Callahan (2012) presents medical, moral and metaphysical perspectives to show the differences between active and passive euthanasia. He is of the notion that even though humans, through medicine, may be able to prevent death temporarily; there exist external factors that are beyond our control. Euthanasia refers to the act of painlessly putting to death individuals who are ailing from untreatable diseases or conditions. Some have referred to the act as a release from incurable, painful suffering. However, others argue that euthanasia initiated by a terminally ill patient as amounts to suicide. This is because it is the responsibility of physicians to treat and comfort their patients, not to use their medical expertise to…

Nursing Experience

After spending a semester in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as a student nurse in training, I can report that I have learned a great deal about the vital issues and practices that are involved in the intensive care unit for newborns, and about the duties and responsibilities of a nurse in that area of healthcare. Part of my training involved treating wounds and the therapeutic communication that is involved in wound care; also, I became well familiarized with the family centric care that is part and parcel of the NICU.

Family Centered Care at the NICU

hat can be more important for a family that has just been on the emotional roller coaster of giving birth prematurely to a new member of the family than being made to feel welcomed and to be treated with a great deal of professionalism and respect? There are a number…

Bioethics

Ethical Evaluation of Dr. Pou

Ethical Evaluation of Mrs. Everett's Claims

Gert's two-step process Evaluation of Dr. Pou

Nursing Ethics in Emergency

Ethical Evaluation of Dr. Pou

From the contents of the article and the actions and the explanations given by Dr. Pou, it is clearly evident that the Kantian theory of ethics was followed by the doctor while she euthanized the seriously ill patients.

The Kantian theory of ethics was propounded by German philosopher Immanuel Kant which states that the will or intention behind an action is the sole judge of the morality of the action and morality is not influenced by the outcome or the results. The theory essentially emphasis the principles that are followed behind actions and influence the actions and not the end result of the actions. The universal principles that treat everyone equally is the motivating factor for acting according to this theory. Animal…

Nursing Ethical Theories

Ethical Theories in Nursing

Significance of Moral in Nursing

Deontology vs. Utilitarianism

Deontology

Utilitarianism

Justice Ethics vs. Care Ethics

Justice Ethics

Care Ethics

ights Ethics

Conflict of ights

Ethical Theories in Nursing

Moral philosophy has moved from addressing Plato's question of what makes the good person, to Kant's query as to the right thing to do, to Buber's concern with relationship. Whether referring to business ethics' interest in relationships between corporations and consumers; legal ethics' focus on relationships among the legal system, clients, and society; or nursing ethics' consideration of the relationship between patient and nurse; ethics and morality are conceptualized and actualized on the playing field of relationship.

The nature of nursing as a moral endeavor is an assumption embedded in any philosophical or theoretical consideration of the discipline and practice of nursing. An the goal of nursing is a moral one, namely, the good of…

Nursing Theories Practices

Nursing Theories

Sister Callista oy initiated the Adaptation Model of Nursing in 1976. The theory has since then evolved to be one of the prominent nursing theories. The nursing theory defines and explains the nursing care provisions. The model by oy sees an individual as a composite of systems with an interrelationship (including biological, social, and psychological). According to Haaf (2008), a person strives towards retaining a balance across the systems and the outside world, although absolute balance levels do not exist. Individuals work towards living in unique bands that they can adequately cope. The model has four major concepts of environment, person, nursing, and health and its application has six steps.

According to Kraszeski & McEwen (2010), a person is a representation of societal standards, principles, or focus. oy's model positions the individual as the bio-psychosocial being throughout a continually changing environment. The person allows for…

Introduction
An estimated 1.5 million “preventable adverse drug events” occur each year in the United States alone; the number of medication errors that did not lead to adverse effects but remained undisclosed is unknown (Jenkins & Vaida, 2007, p. 41). The scenario is this: You are working as an advanced practice nurse at a community health clinic. You make an error when prescribing a drug to a patient. You do not think the patient would know that you made the error, and it certainly was not intentional.

Disclosure is an ethical and legal prerogative, showing respect for the patient and a willingness to accept professional responsibility. Consequentialist ethics do not apply to situations like these, because the broader issue is about changing advanced nursing practice and ensuring a culture of safety for all patients. Likewise, disclosure empowers the patient to make informed choices about reactions to the medical error while…

Nursing Practice Act of Virginia:

The scope of practice in medicine, nursing, law, dentistry, and various other disciplines are usually established and regulated at the state level. This implies that the legislative body in every state establishes practice law and allocates authority for the implementation of the law to suitable regulatory agencies and boards. In relation to the nursing field, the established laws are usually in the form of professional practice acts that act as the basis for licensing standards. Licensing is in turn geared towards the protection of public health and well-being, safety, and welfare. Generally, the statute that defines and manages the nursing profession and practice is known as a nurse practice act. There are four major objectives of the nurse practice act in each state including defining the nursing professional practice, establishing the minimum academic qualifications and requirements for licensing, defining the legal titles and abbreviations that…

Nursing Theorist Grid Dorothea Oren Theory

Over the years, nursing theories have been used in defining the ways healthcare is delivered through the interaction of patients and nurses. This study presents a theoretical discussion of the self-care concept in relation to health care delivery among elderly patients. The self-care concept is popular as Self-Care Deficit Theory of Nursing by Orem. Orem's theory perceives individuals as self-care agents equipped with unique needs. The theory focuses on transactional analysis in enhancing rehabilitative roles of nursing and positively influencing self-care agency among individuals. This creates power component based on self-care behaviors. The theory was initially defined as the analysis of exchanges between people in their interactions and communications with one another. The focus also classifies, understands, predicts and alters human behavior among the well and sick individuals. The theory supports individuals treated as adults and has a higher likelihood of using Adult ego…

Nursing Ethics

hat are the spiritual and cultural values that come into play for me as a nurse, when I'm on the job and caring for a patient or giving an otherwise healthy patient a physical checkup? Ethics and moral values play a huge part in the healthcare field, especially with a nurse, who is often providing patient-centric, one-on-one care in a hospital or clinical setting. A nurse must set the bar high when it comes to integrity, ethics, morals, and respect for all people, to include other cultures. This is the mantra I try to follow not just on the floor as a nurse but in my personal life with my family and friends; after all, a nurse could not be a cold, heartless, indifferent person in private life and suddenly be an ethical, caring, moral professional on the job. This paper uses scholarly research to accurately portray the…

Nursing Phil

Throughout my life, I have exemplified core Christian values like faith and temperance. Christian role models have helped me to shape a character and identity that is conducive to a life of selfless service, which I view the nursing profession to be. I want nothing more than to participate in a Christian nursing community, with the goals of making the world a better place one patient, and one community, at a time. Effective nurse education will allow me to develop my skills in all areas of nursing: from leadership to bedside practice. The Mark and Huldah Buntain School of Nursing is unique in that it offers a perfect fusion of Christian values with cross-cultural awareness, and correspondingly, cultural sensitivity.

I have always valued my spiritual health every bit as much as my physical and psychological health. This is why I gravitated towards the Mark and Huldah Buntain School…

The death of a child is significant and in this case avoidable and a plaintiff has the right to seek compensatory damages as is allowed by law.

Case Study 1 Part B

At the end of the night shift, Nurse Brown took a verbal handover and then noticed the observation chart had not been filled in. To assist her friend, Nurse Harvey, whom she knew had a busy night, filled in the observation chart and fluid balance chart for the hours from 0200-0600 hrs.

Overcome by the events of the last 24 hrs, Nurse Harvey and Nurse Brown go to the local tavern for a few drinks before Nurse Harvey goes on duty. They discussed Mr. Spencer and his son. John, a friend of Mr. Spencer, overheard the conversation and joined them. He was also upset by the events of the day and was most keen to discuss the accident…

Nursing

Ethical Compassion in Nursing

hat personal, cultural, and spiritual values contribute to your worldview and philosophy of nursing? How do these values shape or influence your nursing practice?

The role played by the nurse professional is highly consequential to the health outcomes experiences by patients. This means that the nursing profession must be highly regulated by clearly defined and positively reinforced ethical provisions. These provisions are given by the ANA Nursing Code of Ethics and, in my personal experiences, are imperative as a way of dictating how we, as professionals, are expected to engage patients, required to relate to colleagues and trained to respect human dignity. This connection between ethicality and treatment quality contributes both to my personal worldview and to the broader field of nursing. ith specific reference to my experiences in the NICU and maternity wards, this connection takes on particular importance. Here, quality outcomes mean sound,…

It is critical that NHAs are first qualified nurses, as their ability to relate to other nurses is essential to the organizational success of the nursing home ("Nursing home administrator jobs," 2011). Career paths for an NHA are rooted with education background and nursing experience. Although experience is necessary for being a successful NHA, a career path at minimum requires clinical licensing (Decker, & Castle, 2009).

The NHA is the management body over the facility, and their positions are in high demand. In the U.S. In 2008, approximately 17,000 nursing home administrators were responsible for the oversight of care for 1 million elderly adults and 1.3 million employees (Leister, 2009). Overseeing a large nursing staff, as well as vulnerable residents, are the daily demands of the NHA. The future of NHA field is concerning to researchers and professionals, as the number of licensed NHAs is on the decline. In Maryland,…

Ethics

As a new graduate of six months working night shift on a small cancer unit, I am faced with a dilemma. Mr. V has been in and out of the unit several times over the last few months. He has liver cancer and has gone through several episodes of chemotherapy. His wife has been staying with him since his admission. There are two RN's on this unit.

Mr.V recently joined the hospice program. His current admission is for pain control with orders to start a morphine drip to be regulated for pain control.

The only set parameters indicated by hospital policy are to decrease the drip when respirations are less than twelve breaths per minute. Mr. V has requested that the drip be increased several times during my shift. Even though he does not appear to be in any discomfort, I increase the drip. On my final round of…

My solution has the potential benefits including the following. First, our hospital would be hailed as a progressive institution that serves all members of its community. Second, our hospital would benefit from improved quality of care. As a family nurse practitioner, I value the holistic approach to nursing. All aspects of the patient's life are taken into consideration. Other benefits more directly impact the patient's outcomes, and also workplace morale. As Oberle & Hughes (2008) point out, "administrators should provide opportunities for discourse to help staff reduce moral distress and generate creative strategies for dealing with this," (p. 707). Finally, benefits include ascription to the most fundamental of tenets of nursing. The American Nurses Association (2010) states that humanist, feminist, and social ethics should at all times be adhered to in the advanced nursing practice. The only costs associated with my solution would be the time and energy spent convincing…

This places an added and unfair burden upon the shoulders of nurses, as they may be able to note the emotional and physical signs of abuse, yet they may not have all of the child's medical facts and personal history at their disposal or full authority over the case.

Although the nurse may feel that he or she should defer to the physician's judgment, discussing with the physician why he or she does not wish to report the case as abuse is an important first step in taking proactive action. The physician may be reluctant to report the abuse, not because he or she does not feel that there has been some maltreatment, but because the physician does not think the child's mother is responsible. The nurse may need to remind the physician of their ethical responsibilities as health care practitioners in reporting abuse, regardless of the source. Also, the…

According to the South Carolina Nurse Practice Act, the practice of nursing includes "the provision of services for compensation," and the use of "nursing judgment." Nursing judgment is clearly defined as "the logical and systematic cognitive process of identifying pertinent information and evaluating data in the clinical context in order to produce informed decisions." The South Carolina Nurse Practice Act is lengthier than either of the other two definitions provided here. It deals directly with practical and mundane matters related to the profession such as monetary reward for the practice of nursing; the different classes of nurses, "commensurate with the educational preparation," and other official areas of interest: "Nursing practice occurs in the state in which the recipient of nursing services is located." While this definition lacks the inclusion of terms like "compassion," nurses must be firmly grounded in the practical matters of the profession as outlined by the Nurse…

The National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists - The NACNS was founded in 1995, specifically to enhance and promote the unique and high-value contributions that clinical nurses make to the health and well-being of individuals, families, groups, and communities in their particular branch of healthcare. They also have a foundation, scholarship programs, a journal and discussion portal, various levels of conferences, scholarship programs, honors and awards, and the ability for advanced certification. A Clinical Nurse Specialist is a licensed N who has graduate preparation (MA or PhD) in nursing specifically as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. This field of healthcare goes beyond the duties of an LPN or N, or even charge nurse, and deals with either advanced levels of clinical specialization, or broader, community and national health concerns. The field requires a rather significant academic bent, and the association is designed to support and enhance that paradigm focus (CNS -…

(2008). The study measures public opinion concerning two scenarios: one in which the kidney donor is given a fixed financial compensation; and one in which the donor is provided with health insurance coverage for life. According to the findings of the study, "although almost half of the respondents (46%) were reluctant towards introducing a system with fixed compensation to increase the number of living kidney donors, still 25% of the general public reacted positively." (Kranenburg, 1039) This study would conduct a similar comparative discussion, but would expand the number of available options discussed and would use a different sample population, as discussed in the subsequent section.

Subjects and Sampling Technique:

The subjects will be drawn from amongst nursing professionals working in randomly selected renal specialty facilities and wards. Initial contact will be made by phone with a Director of Nursing at selected facilities requesting participation. Those that agree will receive…

"From an historical standpoint, her concept of nursing enhanced nursing science this has been particularly important in the area of nursing education." ("Virginia Henderson's Need...," 2008) Principles of Henderson's theory, published in numerous primary nursing textbooks utilized from the 1930s through the 1960s, along with principles embodied by the 14 activities continue to prove vital in evaluating nursing care in thee21st century, not only in cases such as Keri's, but in a myriad of others benefiting from nursing.

eferences

Kearney, Kathleen M., the Nurse's Duty to eport Child Abuse vs. The Attorney's Duty of Confidentiality: The Nurse Attorney's Dilemma Journal of Nursing Law. Social Science Electronic Publishing, Inc.; January 25, 2007. etrieved September 25, 2007, at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1256366.

esuggan, ay N;PN;MN. (Last Modified: August 17, 2008). "Virginia Avernal Henderson." Nurses.info. etrieved September 25, 2007, from: http://www.nurses.info/nursing_theory_person_henderson_virginia_.htm.

Singleton, Joanne K. "Nurses' perspectives of encouraging clients' care-of-self in a short-term rehabilitation unit within…

The author quotes Gary Zukav as emphasizing that if a nurse perceives herself as powerless and her image as negative, the idea can sink to the subconscious level and realize itself. She will be drawn to those who will reinforce the idea. Practitioner Pauline Robitaille's stresses impact each nurse has on others. Her influence on people she comes in contact at the peri-operative setting cannot be overstated. She found the published feedbacks of registered nurses in nursing journals as very positive while others were very negative. Those who gave positive feedbacks described the efforts of preceptors to teach and support them. Thus the intended learning flowed smoothly. However, other nurses reported the negative, punitive and critical behavior of their preceptors. The nurses described the difficulty of working with these preceptors. Hence, the nurses did not benefit from their experience with the preceptors.

Ulmer emphasizes that those in the profession must…

Nursing Knowledge

Patterns of Knowing in Nursing

There is a great abundance of information available to us in the universe. Every second, we are bombarded with thousands if not millions of tiny facts arriving through the unbidden working of our sensory organs, each of which is quietly and usually subconsciously processed by the brain; active study engages other parts of our grey matter, and quickly creates a store of facts and associations; and ultimately all information is judged against the framework that is continuously being constructed from previous information. In addition to these different processes for analyzing, categorizing, and associating information, there are also different types of knowledge, several if not all of them working on subconscious and unconscious levels, that help to inform the way in which the world is perceived and responded to. These are both different subject areas and different ways of viewing the world and receiving…

Nursing Home

eport on Conditions at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust

The following report is based on extensive observation of the conditions for patients living at the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust. While some patients received moderate care, overall, the quality of care in this facility was appalling. All patients -- all people -- deserve to be treated with dignity, and this was far from the case. The conditions were especially distressing given that in general they could be fixed or at least ameliorated relatively easily. Not all of the ills of old age or disability can be remedied, of course. Pain and fear will be present even with the best possible care. Given that this is true, all possible efforts must be made to reduce fear, anxiety, and pain to the greatest degree possible.

The facts that this report is based on were documented by…

("Summary of the LPN Declaratory Ruling, 2003)

The selected tasks and shared responsibilities of the licensed practical nurse define such nurses as responsible for being adequately prepared for the nursing responsibilities they assume because they have obtained the validation of completion of an approved preparatory program and have evidence of the successful completion of a nursing licensing examination. A registered nurse, however, as the title conveys, must be registered as a specific health care professional, within a professional organization, rather than merely possess evidence of having a license, and has passed the necessary coursework to obtain his or her master's in the nursing profession. The LPN's validation documents state that he or she has reached the achievement of mastering all theoretical and nursing skill competencies required of an entry level practical nurse in caring for individuals in any age group. It states that the licensed practical nurse has the sufficient…

Nursing profession is among the oldest in history. Currently, there is much debate that surrounds the profession because of the need for more trained nurses. In recent years the nursing shortage has become a major problem for the medical profession and has resulted in poor patient care and slower patient recover. The purpose of this discussion is to provide an in depth examination of the nursing profession. We will discuss the current state of the nursing profession, including the causes for the shortage and the solution. We will also explore the status of the nursing profession in Australia. Let us begin our discussion by providing a comprehensive definition of what is means to be a nurse.

Definition of a nurse

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a nurse is defined as " a person trained to care for the sick or disabled under the supervision of a physician." (American Heritage…