Introduction
Nursing practitioner is frequently faced with ethical dilemmas during their service delivery. These ethical dilemmas are usually hard to tackle or make decisions on due to their sensitivity nature which is concerned with human life. Nevertheless, various regulatory bodies or organization have developed some principles or regulations to be followed by these nursing professionals in cases where they face cases which are hard to tackle. The first and main principle which a nursing or any other health provider is supposed to adhere to is the Hippocratic Oath. This is an oath which every health service provider is subject to. Hippocratic Oath restricts health practitioners in engaging in services which might be detrimental to the well being of the patient’s health. For example, negligence of one’s duties in serving the patient and mercy killing or assisted suicides are some of the actions restricted by this oath (Delaune & Ladner, 2002).
State regulation and nursing standards
Other guidelines have been formulated by regulatory bodies in order to maintain high nursing standards while adhering to nursing ethics. This case study has integrated a number of regulations and nursing standards which are applicable in the United States of America and many other countries all over the world. The first standard which has manifested itself within this case study is accountability. As a health practitioner, one is supposed to be responsible for all the actions he or she engages on. Before inserting the ventilator, the nurse has to seek consent from the patient himself or any other person who has the power to offer the consent on behalf of the patient. In addition to that, the nurse had to consult the senior doctor in this case doctor G in order to come up with the best approaches to tackle this issue of a terminally ill patient. Despite this patient objecting to the process of ventilator insertion, these health professionals cannot neglect their duties of providing the best and appropriate health service to their client ((Delaune & Ladner, 2002).
Nursing code of ethics
The process of inserting the ventilator in this patient manifests a highly sensitive issue in nursing ethics. The patient is against the insertion of this device which is the only alternative way to his health betterment. Acting against the wishes of this person may create unethical action situation. In addition, the absence of the right person to offer the consent to the insertion of this ventilator creates a scenario where the nurse as well as the doctor is left in dilemma. If the nurse adheres to the wishes of this old and ailing individual, his health will tremendously deteriorate to adverse levels. Such issues will affect the credibility or reliance of such nurses in offering health services to these individuals. Subsequently, they have to make the right decision since it impacts on their service delivery process.
Considering the situations under which these professionals were, it would be ethically right to insert this ventilator to this male patient all for his benefit. The patient is aged and with mild mental retardation thus excluding him from making reliable decisions. This patient lacks the capacity to make any health related decision relating to his health. In addition, his attorney who is Mr. B is nowhere in vicinity to assist in making this decision and the health of this patient was in critical condition and without the help of this ventilator, he will eventually die. It was ethically right for the patient’s brother to offer consent to the insertion of this ventilator. First, Mr. B was delegated the powers of making decisions related to the health of the patient. Subsequently, he has the power and authority to make the direction on the insertion of this ventilator to his elderly brother.
Nurse autonomy in professional practice
Autonomy is generally referred to as the freedom or flexibility within the process of decision making in situations which requires rational and moral judgment. Nurses are usually faced by challenges in making a free will or decision towards their service delivery process. This is due to the stipulated rules and regulations which emanate from a given regulatory body or authority. These regulatory bodies have formulated some rules and guidelines which every nursing practitioner is expected to follow while disseminating his or her services. Failure to adhere to these stipulated guidelines can lead to exclusion from the nursing profession. Subsequently, such regulation can be viewed as boundaries which limit the scope of judgment by these nurses. Though the patient may have some degrees of freedom in choosing a certain pathway, nurses can intervene as long as they are within their mandated jurisdiction (Delaune & Ladner, 2002).
Issue of confidentiality in nursing
The issue of confidentiality in nursing is a core thing to be adhered to as stipulated in the HIPAA regulations. A health practitioner or profession is not supposed to release information pertaining to the client in hand to a third party. The health status of a person is a confidential issue but such information can be revealed to next of kin or any other allowable person. The decision of Mr. B the patient’s youngest brother to seek advice from the nephew was a kind of power delegation to this third party. Consequently, in urgent cases which occur in absence of Mr. B, this nephew can offer some assistance as portrayed in the search of advice by Mr. B from this third party. Subsequently, the doctor acted within the HIPAA jurisdictions. This is a situation which the nurse has vivid and clear information on its urgency.
Accountability in nursing
As a nurse, neglecting this state of urgency can lead to subsequent death of this client. Such a scenario would bring into question the professionalism of these practitioners. Though the involved parties who are required to give consent on the insertion of this ventilator may object in its insertion process, these health practitioners should obtain the best reason why they are against its use. Poor argument or reasons can lead to lack of accountability and integrity in their health service provision.
Conclusion
The main objective of a nurse is to provide superb environment to pre treatment patients as well as post treatment patients. Nevertheless, these nurses are faced with various challenges mostly emanating from their clients as witnessed in the case study. To handle such situations with much efficacy and integrity, the nursing regulatory bodies have stipulated some guidelines which act as boundaries within which any health practitioner is expected to work in. This help in elimination of issues related to unethical practices.
Reference
Delaune, SC & Ladner, PK. (2002). Fundamental of nursing, standard and practice, 2nd edition,
New York: Thomson Publishers.
