Ethical issues in nursing practice
Posted: July 7th, 2022
Park, M. (2009). Ethical issues in nursing practice. Journal of Nursing Law, 13(3), 68-77. doi:10.1891/1073-7472.13.3.68
Link: Ethical issues in nursing practice Links to an external site.
Essay Prompt: Identify primary areas for legal and ethical issues faced by oncology nurses in this study (Park, 2009), and strategies they may have developed to work with those ethical issues.
Or,
Croke, E. (2006). Nursing malpractice: determining liability elements for negligent acts. Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting, 17(3), 3.
Link: Nursing malpractice: determining liability elements for negligent actsLinks to an external site.
Essay Prompt: Identify primary problems that led to the malpractice suits (Croke, 2006), and identify the role the nurse played and what the nurse did wrong.
Your 1-2 page paper should include adhere to APA formatting and references/ citations for the article. Additional sources are optional.
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Article 1: Park, M. (2009). Ethical issues in nursing practice. Journal of Nursing Law, 13(3), 68-77.
The article “Ethical Issues in Nursing Practice” by Park (2009) discusses the ethical challenges that nurses face in their daily practice, especially those who work in oncology settings. The author identified several primary areas of ethical issues faced by oncology nurses, including informed consent, end-of-life care, patient autonomy, and confidentiality.
Informed consent is an essential ethical principle that requires healthcare providers to obtain the patient’s consent before administering any treatment or procedure. In the context of oncology care, informed consent can be particularly challenging because patients may be under emotional distress or unable to make rational decisions due to their medical condition. Oncology nurses must ensure that patients fully understand the risks and benefits of treatment and that they have the capacity to provide informed consent.
End-of-life care is another significant ethical issue that oncology nurses face. It involves managing patients’ pain and suffering while respecting their dignity and autonomy. Oncology nurses must navigate complex ethical considerations such as the use of palliative care, withholding or withdrawing treatment, and honoring patients’ end-of-life wishes.
Patient autonomy and confidentiality are also critical ethical considerations in oncology care. Nurses must respect patients’ rights to make decisions about their care and keep their medical information confidential, even in cases where the information may be relevant to other members of the healthcare team.
To work with these ethical issues, oncology nurses can develop strategies such as engaging in open and honest communication with patients and families, advocating for patients’ rights, and seeking support from colleagues and supervisors when faced with challenging ethical dilemmas. Additionally, nurses can engage in ongoing professional development to enhance their ethical decision-making skills and stay up