Question

In this assignment, you will analyze the nurse’s professional responsibilities and values with an ethical dilemma. Through a holistic lens, you will consider and integrate ethical principles, alternatives and consequences of decisions will be argued. A pregnant woman learns her baby will have severe deformities and the physician has recommended to terminate the pregnancy.

Introduce the concept of ethics with purpose statement Analyze the scenario using the ethical decision-making model Integrate ethical principles and process using concepts from Black text AND ANA Code of Ethics text Identify current research (last 5 years) that is useful for assisting nurses when handling ethical dilemmas, using at least one journal article. Use scholarly APA format with title and reference page. Use correct grammar and punctuation with clear and organized writing (not written in first person).

Answer 1

ETHICAL DILEMMA

INTRODUCTION:

Ethical dilemma is a conflict between alternatives where no matter what a person does, some ethical principle will be compromised.

ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN NURSING:

Nurses face ethical dilemmas on daily basis. Ethical nursing care is based upon rational science and decision making. There are four core concepts which are essential to a professional nursing practice. They are respect for patient autonomy, the duty to act with beneficence, no maleficence and practice.

HOW TO ANALYZE THE ETHICAL DILEMMA:

1. Establish the facts surrounding the ethical dilemmas

2. Study the details of the case

3. Identify the relevant criteria

4. Determine legal obligations and duties

5. Determine possible courses of action

6. Decide which action is the most ethical

FACTS: Make sure that one has all the facts that are known.

Concepts: Things that cannot be proven but are relevant to the issue.

Dilemmas: Identify all possible dilemmas and then decide what is the most immediate.

ISSUE: Decide what is the most immediate ethical or moral issue facing the individual

RESOLVE: The ethical dilemma by using an ethical system

LAW: It is important to note that every often the ethical thing to do is clear once you identify the relevant law and or policy.

Ethical judgement should be made using rationales derived from historical and traditional ethical systems.

Here we are considering an ethical dilemma that is ABORTION.

NURSE'S ETHICAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN ABORTION:

Nurses have the ethical obligation to protect and promote life. Current nursing dilemma lies in the right and responsibilities of nurses towards abortion versus the rights of patients choosing to abort. With the increasing legislative activity regarding abortion law in every state, nursing position is problematic in view of respecting patient rights and professional pro-life advocacy. The role and responsibility of the nurse as well as the rights of patients are supported within the ethical frame work provided by the ANA CODE OF ETHICS for nurses with interpretive statements(ANA 2001).

In view of abortion, nurses are agreeable if medically indicated. However, nurses should respect the choices of the mother as long as abortion is legal under the state law. Nurses should provide the information of alternative and respecting the patient's right to freedom from imposition and the right to receive the utmost care in an environment that provides privacy culturally, appropriate and specific nursing expertise.(ANA 2011).

If abortion is against the personal, moral, ethical and religious values of the nurse, the nurse has right to refuse to participate in a voluntary termination of pregnancy except in emergency situation, where the patients needs do not allow for substitution and should not be subjected to coercion, censure or discipline for reasons of such refusal (ANA 20001, provision #4, #5, #6). If providing care it should be competent , supportive and non judgemental. However, the nurse should be aware of the abortion laws within the state of practice to be more legally binding.