In clinical practice there are four principles that guide healthcare providers in bioethical decision making; these are autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. The American College of Nurse-Midwifery integrates these principles into their code of ethics. According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) (2015), a midwife’s mission is to “promote the health and well-being of women and newborns within their families and communities”. In order to achieve this mission, a midwife must follow 3 ethical mandates. These mandates deal with the care provided by the midwife to women and their families, providing public good that benefits women and their families, and ensuring that integrity as a midwife and fulfilment of the midwifery mission is maintained (ACNM, 2015).
Autonomy vs Beneficence and Nonmaleficence
As a healthcare provider, a patient’s autonomy is of principal value. “Personal autonomy is, at minimum, self-rule that is free from both controlling interference by others and from limitations, such as inadequate understanding, that …show more content…
It is associated with lifelong pain and disability. Early diagnosis is essential as sickle cell disease is associated with children having delayed puberty and growth failure (Vichinsky, 2014). So in a way, failure to diagnosis this disease prenatally has the potential to cause harm to the fetus. Is the harm associated with amniocentesis greater than the harm of an undiagnosed sickle cell disease? On the other hand, the midwife can cause psychological harm to the patient by going against their right for autonomy and disclosing information that goes against patient-healthcare provider confidentiality. Is beneficence in this case more important than