Research Paper on Nursing Representative in the Ethics Committee

Introduction

Just like any other sector ethics are important in healthcare as they guide nurses, physicians and other members of the healthcare system on how to care for patients and make sound decisions (Chadwick, & Gallagher, 2016). Ethics help in addressing the dilemmas that arise when the health practitioners are carrying on their duties. On the ethics committee, the nurses are represented by the nursing administrator. American Nurses Association (ANA) code of ethics prioritizes ethics in nursing and requires all the practicing nurses to adhere to nursing practice ethical principles. This includes but is not limited to the appropriate use of resources.

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The administrator also acts as the ethics consultant on cases that arise in the healthcare facility both concerning the patients, family as well as anyone who might need help related to clinical services. The administrator assists in mobilizing the nurses to attend meetings and coaching sessions to educate them on how to handle patient issues (Johnstone, 2015). In the ethics committee, the administrator helps the nurses to feel more comfortable while giving their opinions on a case because they are aware that they have the support of their colleague. The administrator offers support and is always available either face to face or on the phone in case a nurse is faced with an ethical dilemma.

Purpose of the Ethics Committee

One of the objectives of establishing the ethics committee is to provide a program for educating the healthcare staff on ethical issues and how they are expected to handle different ethical dilemmas. The committee, for example, is responsible for establishing guideline on how to manage patients with chronic diseases. The committee is also responsible for outlining the patient-practitioner boundaries and ensuring that appropriate self-disclosure is adhered to (Fatemeh, 2016). Additionally, the committee offers practical solutions to different challenges and establishes a framework of how to implement them.

The committee benchmarks solutions that were previously decided upon and offers reassurance that they will are the best and will be implemented effectively. With the committee, the hospital becomes more confident when dealing with people who might think that a decision made was not the best (Fatemeh, 2016). A decision made by a team of professionals is more trustworthy than that made by a single person because regardless of the position that he/she holds. Group decisions contain less bias because before a solution is implemented, it has to be supported by the majority.

Individuals Who Can Present a Problem to the Committee and the Process Followed

The patients, family members, and health care member can present a problem at the ethics committee. The other stakeholders who are not directly involved with patient care can also help the patients and other individuals interested in presenting the case to the committee (Fatemeh, 2016). The issues, however, take time to be solved, so the person filing the case have to be patient. The problem is not presented directly to the committee, but the complainant has to first submit the issue to the ethics office by either visiting the office or call. The individual is expected to provide necessary information which includes name, contact information and provide relevant information related to the issue. The officer can solve some of the problems, but the complicated ones are forwarded to the ethics committee, but before this stage, the coordinator has to gather adequate information on the matter and explain to the complainant the procedure that will be used when dealing with the issue. If the person reporting the problem is the patient, then the physician who has been taking care of the patient has to be informed that his/her patient has particular concerns.

A thorough assessment of the case takes place before the case proceeds to the next stage and if the lead ethics officer finds evidence that the concerns are justified, then he/she proceeds and calls for an ethics committee meeting to discuss the issue. Only the participants who are willing to contribute are incorporated in the discussion, so no person is coerced to offer evidence to the ethics committee (Fatemeh, 2016). The lead ethics officer gathers necessary information from different practitioners such as bedside caregivers, the medical team as well as the family of the patient. Sometimes the ethics committee members can meet several times before concluding. The committee ensures that the solution that will be implemented is well thought out, and that majority of the committee members are in consensus to avoid cases of bias and unfairness.

ANA Code of Ethics

Nurses face challenging issues in their practice hence the need for the code of ethics just like any other profession. American Nurses Association (ANA) created the first code of ethics in 1950 to help nurses deal with professional dilemmas. The code of ethics not only guides the nurses in the workplace but also outside. The document contains nine provisions and 35 statements that interpret the codes (Olson, & Stokes, 2016). The first provision requires nurses to be compassionate and respect every person. They are also expected to practice the profession with dignity, worth, and dignity. The second provision requires nurses to commit themselves to the patients, family, group or community. The document also the nurses to play the role of patient's advocate and protect their rights and ensure that they are safe. The nurse has the responsibility of providing maximum care and pursues not only professional growth but also personal growth. He/she should ensure that the work environment is conducive and the services offered are of high quality. The nurse also should cay out research to advance in all areas of the profession and collaborate with other professionals in the healthcare system to reduce disparities in health. As a nurse, the code of ethics requires one to practice social justice and promote health policy.

Ethical Principles Utilized by the Committee

Principles of totality and integrity apply in nursing which means that when deciding the type of medications, procedures or therapies for a patient, the nurse should prioritize different factors such as spiritual, physical and psychological (Kangasniemi, Pakkanen, & Korhonen, 2015). The principle of totality states that different organs exist for the sake of the wellbeing of the entire body so attention should be given to any organ. The nurses are therefore expected to consider this principle when making treatment decisions. The committee also utilizes the autonomy principle which requires health workers to adhere to the wishes of the patients regardless of whether they agree with them or not. Nurses have no authority to question the wishes of a patient or act against them.

Where the ANA Code of Ethics Is Used When Discussing Problems

ANA code of ethics is used in health care facilities to address issues faced by the patients and the nurses. Nurses use the ethics guidelines to care for patients and handle dilemmas such as establishing whether health care is a right of a patient or a privilege (Olson, & Stokes, 2016). The code of ethics is also used by nurses when faced with the dilemma of deciding whether to pay first loyalty to the employer or the patient. Code of ethics s also used in managing patient's suffering at the end of life. The document is for example used in discussing a dilemma that faces a nurse when a patient requests for anesthesia.

Recent Problem Brought to the Committee

Recently, the committee received a problem from one of the nurses that she was taking care of a young girl who has cancer. Her condition had of late worsened, and the nurse was contemplating on informing the family that their patient might die since the chemotherapy had severe side effects. The family members did not seem worried that their daughter was terminally ill, so they believed she was going to recover. The nurse was therefore in a dilemma regarding whether to tell the family the truth or not.

How the Problem was Resolved

To solve the problem, the committee applied different principles of ethics such as autonomy which requires the nurse to recognize that patients and family have the right to decide on what they want depending on what they believe in as well as personal values (Chadwick, & Gallagher, 2016). Additionally, the committee applied nonmaleficence which expects the nurse to make decisions that will not harm the patient and the principle of justice whereby the nurse is expected to make the decision based on the principle of justice which means that both the patient and the family members should be equally treated.

References

Chadwick, R., & Gallagher, A. (2016). Ethics and nursing practice. Macmillan International Higher Education.Butts, J. B., & Rich, K. L. (2019). Nursing ethics. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Fatemeh Hajibabaee, P. (2016). Hospital/clinical ethics committees' notion: an overview. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5432947/

Johnstone, M. J. (2015). Bioethics: a nursing perspective. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Kangasniemi, M., Pakkanen, P., & Korhonen, A. (2015). Professional ethics in nursing: an integrative review. Journal of advanced nursing, 71(8), 1744-1757.

Olson, L. L., & Stokes, F. (2016). The ANA code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements: a resource for nursing regulation. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 7(2), 9-20.