Nursing is an ethical activity (Ellis, 2017). He explained that the principles and theories of ethics are one of the methods used to make a clinical decision. According to Singapore Nursing Board Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (1999), nurses are expected to advocate in the best interest of the patients. Nurses engage in daily activities with the intention of the right practices however, there are times where nurses are put in a dilemma where their ethics come into question (Ellis, 2017).
Patient A, aged 70, was brought into the emergency department of hospital Z with complains of generalised pain and functional decline with increasing altered mental state. Patient A has a known history of depression for 20 years.
He was then diagnosed …show more content…
If the nurse were to tell the truth, this will bring about unhappiness amongst the family and the medical team in the hospital. The patient may also react very poorly to the diagnosis. On the other hand, if the truth was kept, everyone in the family will be pleased with medical team and the patient may not be affected by the diagnosis and will be able to be discharged. The nurse believed that the benefits outweigh the risks involved in telling the truth.
This decision was made using the utilitarian approach, with consideration of the consequences of the situation. Utilitarianism conceptualizes bringing about of the greatest good for the greatest number of people (Beauchamp & Childress, 2013). This involves the happiness of the patient, his family and the care team in the hospital.
Act utilitarian is an approach in which the nurse’s act is morally right if it produces the best possible result in that specific situation (Beauchamp & Childress, 2013). Therefore, even though the nurse had to lie, the act was morally right in the situation.
Nursing is a profession that requires intervening in people’s lives when they may be vulnerable and require support (Ellis, 2017). Hence, they find themselves in these kinds of situations. The ethical nurse has to think of the benefits and
Patient A, aged 70, was brought into the emergency department of hospital Z with complains of generalised pain and functional decline with increasing altered mental state. Patient A has a known history of depression for 20 years.
He was then diagnosed …show more content…
If the nurse were to tell the truth, this will bring about unhappiness amongst the family and the medical team in the hospital. The patient may also react very poorly to the diagnosis. On the other hand, if the truth was kept, everyone in the family will be pleased with medical team and the patient may not be affected by the diagnosis and will be able to be discharged. The nurse believed that the benefits outweigh the risks involved in telling the truth.
This decision was made using the utilitarian approach, with consideration of the consequences of the situation. Utilitarianism conceptualizes bringing about of the greatest good for the greatest number of people (Beauchamp & Childress, 2013). This involves the happiness of the patient, his family and the care team in the hospital.
Act utilitarian is an approach in which the nurse’s act is morally right if it produces the best possible result in that specific situation (Beauchamp & Childress, 2013). Therefore, even though the nurse had to lie, the act was morally right in the situation.
Nursing is a profession that requires intervening in people’s lives when they may be vulnerable and require support (Ellis, 2017). Hence, they find themselves in these kinds of situations. The ethical nurse has to think of the benefits and