Ethical, Moral and Legal Dilemmas Essay Example

Introduction

Ethics govern the standard conduct for employees in their careers. In the same way, the field of nursing cannot function without having a standard code of behavior that is both right and respectful. Ethical principles exist to guide the nursing profession, and these include non-maleficence, beneficence, fidelity, autonomy, integrity, and justice. The paper in context, therefore, seeks to explore in detail a case of an ethical dilemma including its moral and legal implications.

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An ethical dilemma encountered once in my work environment in a nursing home is where a female patient with three children who was also a single parent signed a no resuscitation order and the nurses in charge had to decide whether to resuscitate her in her failing state or follow the order. The case was an ethical dilemma since there was a high likelihood of survival upon doing a resuscitation and leaving her to die meant subjecting her three young children to a life without parents. It was a hard decision since all attempts to convince the patient otherwise failed given her strong religious beliefs.

Analysis of the Moral, Ethical, and Legal Implications of Situation

Ethics describes moral principles which guide how one operates in a particular environment. Morals on the other hand also describe standard principles of operation, and therefore morals and ethics work together. One thing the nursing code of ethics requires me to do is to make right decisions on behalf of the patient, at all times one must act for the benefit of the patient (Choi, 2015). However, in a case where a patient does not want resuscitation, then a direct ethical implication is the failure to act according to the stipulated code of ethics. The right to life and to correct treatment and medication is also vital as a universal human right, leaving the patient to die therefore means I have played a part in her not enjoying what rightfully belongs to her. Nevertheless, the case puts you in a state of an ethical dilemma because going against the wishes of the patient may end up causing more complications than one had imagined before.

In considering the legal implications of the case in context, it is critical to know that most times there is no application of ethics, legal consequences result. Among the primary principles of ethics are beneficence, non-maleficence, and autonomy (Doody & Noonan, 2016). It is not surprising that if in the management of a patient there appears to be a breach in any of the ethical principles, then one is in for a harsh ride legally. Giving in to the patient's demands and letting her die may also be very risky in a situation where at the end investigations reveal that the patient was not in a right state of mind while signing the no resuscitation order. It will be so unfortunate in such a scenario since legal implications will have to take place. Legal consequences may include loss of practicing license, a jail term or even one may be lucky to continue with his career but with caution depending on the judgment of the severity of the case and frequency of occurrence.

Role as Moral Agent or Advocate for this Specific Issue

In acting as a moral agent for the case in context, I will first take the time to discuss the wishes of the patient regarding the end of life management before the actual end of lifetime reaches. I have to ensure that the patient has made the decision when in the right state of mind and is not just doing it from the desperation of loss of hope in life (Annoni & Miller, 2016). It will be more beneficial if the patient became more specific and highlighted what type of resuscitation is she against and if she is also not for palliative care. There must be documentation of all these information especially to avoid any legal implications in case of any lawsuit.

It is also crucial to discuss with the family about the patient's wish for her end of life management for them to be aware of what is happening to their loved one (Mockford et al., 2015). Since at the end of it all the patient is the key decision maker especially when in sound mind, there will be no option but to obey her wishes though sad especially for the children who will remain as orphans. The final decision will, therefore, to not resuscitate her and allow her to die in peace, what will be needed more, therefore, in this case, will be emotional support.

The nursing profession is among those professions with discipline and a high level of moral standing. Being a nurse means devoting yourself to people at their most vulnerable moments which most times is at the time of sickness. Nurses are also people of integrity who do their work in a skillful way and with a lot of passion. The reasons stated in this paragraph remain my main motivational factors in working hard to become a nurse. The ANA code of ethics through its provisions forms the basis of values and principles that guide the nursing profession (Winland, Lachman & Swanson, 2015). Some of these values and principles include integrity, research, advocacy especially on behalf of the patient and information confidentiality.

Self-Assessment and Leadership Styles

The leadership style identified by the self-assessment is that of a guardian. Guardians are people who are serious about their duties and responsibilities and take pride in being dependable and trustworthy (Yilmaz & O'Connor, 2015). They give themselves s to ensure things get done and are people who work a lot with logistics. Such individuals also believe in law and order and will, therefore, have respect for authorities. They are the kind of people who will ensure their companies are adhering to all the legal requirements of a country without fail. Guardians are however most times very rigid and therefore don't like devising new ways of doing things but would rather stick to the norms.

Concerning the stated ethical dilemma in this context, the Guardian style facilitates the solving of the dilemma. One thing that is of the key to a guardian is obedience to the law; they are therefore the kind of people that will do their best to evade legal implications. As a result, it will be easier to respect the wishes of the patient and not resuscitate even when resuscitation would have given the patient another chance to live and have more time with the family. The only barrier a guardian personality may have is being rigid and may, therefore, become hard solving other issues requiring flexibility and veer from the traditional way of doing things.

Conclusion

In conclusion, one cannot run away from issues that deal with ethical dilemmas especially in the health sector. Of importance, therefore, is clear communication with a patient right from the first encounter to be able to solve cases when they arise easily.

References

Annoni, M., & Miller, F. G. (2016). Placebo effects and the ethics of therapeutic communication: a pragmatic perspective. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, 26(1), 79-103.

Choi, P. P. (2015). Patient advocacy: the role of the nurse. Nursing Standard (2014+), 29(41), 52.

Doody, O., & Noonan, M. (2016). Nursing research ethics, guidance and application in practice. British Journal of Nursing, 25(14), 803-807.

Mockford, C., Fritz, Z., George, R., Court, R., Grove, A., Clarke, B., ... & Perkins, G. D. (2015). Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR) orders: a systematic review of the barriers and facilitators of decision-making and implementation. Resuscitation, 88, 99-113.

Winland-Brown, J., Lachman, V. D., & Swanson, E. O. C. (2015). The new'Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements'(2015): Practical clinical application, Part I. Medsurg Nursing, 24(4), 268.

Yilmaz, M., & O'Connor, R. V. (2015). Understanding personality differences in software organisations using Keirsey temperament sorter. IET Software, 9(5), 129-134.