Ethical Decisions in Nursing: Dilemmas, Decision-Making Strategies, and the Deontological Approach
Overview
This paper examines the ethical dilemmas nurses face in clinical practice, including conflicts between honesty and information withholding, science and spiritual beliefs, and autonomy and beneficence. The author discusses nursing strategies for ethical decision-making and advocates for the deontological ethical approach as a framework for resolving complex healthcare situations.
What this essay covers
- Introduction to ethical dilemmas in nursing practice involving honesty, spiritual beliefs, and resource allocation
- Nursing roles in ethical decision-making including patient education, interdisciplinary meetings, and consultation with ethics experts
- Application of deontological approach as a framework emphasizing principles, rules, regulations, and analysis of action consequences
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Ethical Decisions
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Ethical Decisions
Nurses are often stuck between ethical dilemmas and decisions that need to be made. They are mostly stuck between various factors such as honesty and withholding information. This happens when some family members want to withhold medical information from a sick person. They are also stuck between science and spiritual beliefs, where they find some patients that require medical attention but their religion objects (Black, 2020). These families adhere to spiritual beliefs, whereas the nurses are entitled to prove medication to save lives. Nurses are also stuck between autonomy and beneficence. Healthcare needs, and resource allocation is another ethical decision that challenges the nurses.
Nurses play an essential role in ethical decision-making to the families of the patients and their families. They offer education to these families and guide them on the best technique to apply in case of a dilemma (Black, 2020). They can hold a meeting to invite other nurses to speak up on an issue with the affected family. They can direct the families to on-site nurse ethicists or other ethical experts who can help look and confidentially talk about a situation from other perceptions. Different ideas from experts can help the patient to reach an informed decision.
The deontological approach can help the nurse in reaching the best decision for the patients and their families. The deontological ethical approach describes the actions which apply the principles, rules, and regulations. It advocates for application of law and policies in every situation.