Caring for Pregnant Women and Newborns the Criminal Justice
Professional care throughout any women’s pregnancy is imperative. Without adequate care, a women and her unborn child can experience serious health related consequences including death. Ethical dilemmas arise from situations such as inadequate funding or resources for the care of newborns and pregnant women in the criminal justice system. Federal and state laws also require the confinement of incarcerated pregnant and laboring women. In addition to the shackling of pregnant prisoners, the ethical dilemma regarding the newborn’s well-being is prevalent. Once the prisoner delivers her child, she is separated from the newborn soon after birth.
Section 5.1 of the nursing code of ethics talks a lot about the importance of having moral self-respect. “Nurses have the same moral obligation to self as they do to others. The nurse must maintain self-respect, professional growth and competence, wholeness of character and personal integrity” (ANA 2015). When dealing with women that are incarcerated this is very vital. Being in such situation nurses must realize that these women are in jail but should also be treated and cared for the way that they themselves would like to be cared for. …show more content…
According to Zust, Busiahn and Janisch (2013) “Although a federal law prohibits the use of shackles for women incarcerated in federal prisons, women incarcerated in state prisons are not so protected” (Zust, Busiahn and Janisch, 2013, pg. 26). Generally speaking, there are states that still use shackles during labor and delivery. Some nurses believe that the shackling during labor and delivery serve as barriers that impede a nurse’s ability to effectively care for an incarcerated pregnant women. Additionally, the confinement of the pregnant women can negatively affect the well-being of her unborn
Professional care throughout any women’s pregnancy is imperative. Without adequate care, a women and her unborn child can experience serious health related consequences including death. Ethical dilemmas arise from situations such as inadequate funding or resources for the care of newborns and pregnant women in the criminal justice system. Federal and state laws also require the confinement of incarcerated pregnant and laboring women. In addition to the shackling of pregnant prisoners, the ethical dilemma regarding the newborn’s well-being is prevalent. Once the prisoner delivers her child, she is separated from the newborn soon after birth.
Section 5.1 of the nursing code of ethics talks a lot about the importance of having moral self-respect. “Nurses have the same moral obligation to self as they do to others. The nurse must maintain self-respect, professional growth and competence, wholeness of character and personal integrity” (ANA 2015). When dealing with women that are incarcerated this is very vital. Being in such situation nurses must realize that these women are in jail but should also be treated and cared for the way that they themselves would like to be cared for. …show more content…
According to Zust, Busiahn and Janisch (2013) “Although a federal law prohibits the use of shackles for women incarcerated in federal prisons, women incarcerated in state prisons are not so protected” (Zust, Busiahn and Janisch, 2013, pg. 26). Generally speaking, there are states that still use shackles during labor and delivery. Some nurses believe that the shackling during labor and delivery serve as barriers that impede a nurse’s ability to effectively care for an incarcerated pregnant women. Additionally, the confinement of the pregnant women can negatively affect the well-being of her unborn