Task 1, 3 pages, five references
You are working as an advanced nurse at a community health clinic. You make an error when prescribing a drug to a patient. You do not think the patient would know that you made the error and it certainly was no intentional.
Explain the ethical and legal implications of disclosure and non-disclosure. Be sure to reference laws specific to your state MARYLAND USA
Disclosure is notably the safer course of action a medical nurse can take in a situation of having made a medical error. However, the disclosure may not serve any useful purpose to the client but rather may have negative effects of increasing anxiety level. According to (Heubel F, 2005) on Kantian theory physicians have to follow standards of best care which are designed to protect patients. This theory implies doing well to people, telling truth, do no harm and respect autonomy of individual. Virtue ethics also support these principles. This resonates with (Childress, 2001), who stated that that the nurse-patient relationship, is a fiduciary relationship where the nurse and the patient owes each other the duties of good faith, trust, confidence and candour. This relationship must therefore rely on principles of autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, justice and fidelity at all times. However medical errors my compromise this …show more content…
However, the ethical considerations weigh more than the legal implications hence the need for disclosure. By not disclosing the errors the nurse certainly places his or her interest above that of the patient to the disadvantage of the patient which goes against the patient-centered
You are working as an advanced nurse at a community health clinic. You make an error when prescribing a drug to a patient. You do not think the patient would know that you made the error and it certainly was no intentional.
Explain the ethical and legal implications of disclosure and non-disclosure. Be sure to reference laws specific to your state MARYLAND USA
Disclosure is notably the safer course of action a medical nurse can take in a situation of having made a medical error. However, the disclosure may not serve any useful purpose to the client but rather may have negative effects of increasing anxiety level. According to (Heubel F, 2005) on Kantian theory physicians have to follow standards of best care which are designed to protect patients. This theory implies doing well to people, telling truth, do no harm and respect autonomy of individual. Virtue ethics also support these principles. This resonates with (Childress, 2001), who stated that that the nurse-patient relationship, is a fiduciary relationship where the nurse and the patient owes each other the duties of good faith, trust, confidence and candour. This relationship must therefore rely on principles of autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, justice and fidelity at all times. However medical errors my compromise this …show more content…
However, the ethical considerations weigh more than the legal implications hence the need for disclosure. By not disclosing the errors the nurse certainly places his or her interest above that of the patient to the disadvantage of the patient which goes against the patient-centered