Ethical Issues in Nursing Practice: Dilemmas and Resolution Strategies in Oncology Care
Overview
This paper examines ethical dilemmas faced by oncology nurses, particularly regarding life support decisions, patient rights, and informed consent. It discusses how nurses navigate conflicts between moral principles and institutional policies, and explores strategies including personal values, peer consultation, and adherence to the American Nurses Association code of ethics to resolve these complex situations.
What this essay covers
- Definition and nature of ethical issues in nursing practice with focus on oncology settings
- Key ethical concerns including life support withdrawal, patient privacy, informed consent, and minor patient rights
- Resolution strategies employed by nurses: personal values, peer dialogue, ethics committees, and professional guidelines
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Ethical Issues in Nursing Practice
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"Ethical Issues in Nursing practice"
Ethical issues arise when decisions conflict with moral principles within an organization, institution, or society. There are many dilemmas faced by oncology nurses, such as the use or withdrawal of life support therapies. It is wrong issue because nurses lack the right to use or withdraw life support machines without the patient's consent. Practitioners find themselves in challenges where there is no right answer, and they are required to mediate the situation. In this case, they are required to connect patients with clinical care during end-of-life situations. The quality of care includes patients’ privacy and relate to the ethical concerns in nursing practice.
Oncology nurses can mediate the entire process while preserving dignity to the patient and family members. Secondly, patient rights are an important ethical issue that every nurse should embrace in their practice. Privacy is an essential entity in medical care since it improves communication between patients and nurses. Consequently, some patients are strict with their religion which pushes nurses restrain services. It is a tricky scenario to act against own religious beliefs in nursing practice (Park, 2009). Oncology nurses should use the principles of human rights to enhance patient care. The principles of human care seek nurses to present dignity in their services.
Nurses should not show discrimination when serving patients, which is a principle articulated by the human rights agency. Every patient has the right to informed consent before treatment (Park, 2009).