Ethics And Ethical Dilemmas In Nursing

When I first began to consider nursing as a career, I did not take into account the potential dilemmas I would encounter in the moral and ethical realm of healthcare. I was aware of and, in fact, very excited about building relationships with my patients as I looked forward to taking the position of their advocate, but I failed to be realistic about potentially running into issues with patients of different cultures and systems of belief. Nurses, especially, seek to find a balance in their duty to be an advocate for the patient and their commitment to promote health, prevent illness and ease suffering. Some ethical issues arise for nurses when dealing with competent and autonomous patients whose beliefs change or alter the normal course of …show more content…
This means that what has typically proven to be a very beneficial treatment for most people is not an option for both adults and minors of this religion. I chose to consider two types of cases commonly seen when dealing with individuals of the Jehovah’s Witness religious group. One of the first types of cases I chose to look into was one in which the person refusing a blood transfusion was a completely competent and autonomous adult. Secondly, I chose to look into the type of case in which the parents are making a decision for a child who clearly lacks the capacity to make medical decisions from himself. While the child will eventually become autonomous, he or she is not yet autonomous at this point, and, therefore, someone else is authorized to make decisions on the child’s behalf.
In all moral and ethical scenarios, certain principles help individuals, especially healthcare professionals, make the best decision for everyone involved. It is important to realize that, despite having certain principles and regulations to help guide decisions, there is not always a clear right or wrong choice for the medical professional and the outcome is never certain. One of the first principles to consider is the Respect for Persons …show more content…
However, when it comes to cases concerning minors and their parents, it would be hard for me to resort to the Respect for Persons Principle if I knew that a blood transfusion could save the child and give them a better shot at life. As the child’s advocate, I would apply the Principle of Beneficence and the Principle of Non-maleficence. In light of these two principles, it would be my obligation to push for the best and most beneficial treatment for the child. Specifically, I would be fighting for the child to have a blood transfusion and provide them with potentially life saving care, and if that means potentially dishonoring the parents in the process, it is still something I am willing to try. I do not believe that it is ethically or morally wrong for a grown autonomous adult to refuse a treatment due to religious reasons. However, I have a problem when children to into play and are robbed of a chance at life because of a belief that their parents