Ethical Issues In Nursing Practice

There are many different ways and roles in which a nurse practitioner will care for a patient or community. With the responsibility of caring for others comes the possibility of consequences. The potential ethical issues, specifically when performing tasks related to epidemiology, should be considered before commencement of any study. This consideration is paramount when studying humans. One of the issues that should be contemplated is the obligation to minimize the risk and maximize the benefits to the individuals (Coughlin, 2006). This issue is encompassed by the principle of beneficence (Macha & McDonough, 2012, p. 332). It is not always possible to know if a trial will produce benefits to the individual. At times, it can also be impossible to eliminate all harm that a trial may cause. However, when considering methods, tests, and treatments one must balance the benefits and the risks (Coughlin, 2006). As Coughlin (2006) mentions, this issue is scrutinized more in “clinical trials and other experimental studies.” However, that is exactly why we must be sensitive to its presence and its consequences in epidemiology and public health practices. As nurse practitioners, our focus should be to improve the health of the community. Eliminating risk in health care would be impossible. …show more content…
Understanding this issue will support the use of research in practice and promotion of continued education in clinical practice. A practitioner, who is current on health practices, understands why some methods are no longer supported and recognize why new treatments are being explored. This awareness deters harm to the patient. This education will also influence the provider to discontinue use of procedures that are proven to be unsupported or harmful and recognize that other techniques have been tested or used and have caused detriment (Macha & McDonough, 2012, p.