Nurses are known as patient advocates. In advocating for their patients, nurses strive for what is best in their patient’s care. Since nurses will be…
Provision 1.4 of the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses, states that all human beings have “The right to self-determination.”(American Nurses Association Website, n.d., p. 4) It is important for the nurse to always honor, respect, and assist a patient in his or her decisions in determining the course of their care. Supporting these decisions as a patient advocate may require further education of family and staff. Preserving the rights of individual decisions made previous to a patient’s incapacitation is the moral and legal duty of all nurses.…
Nurses are provided guidelines for how to approach the care of patients in the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics, but they are just that, guidelines. It is simply a map to help navigate some of the more difficult decisions that are necessary for a nurse to make. Ethics, in nursing, is based on individual interpretation. A person’s values shape their individual approaches to patients and patient care. The ANA document does not tell or indicate what is an absolute right or wrong. Each and every nurse has to make those decisions individually. Ethical knowledge and guidelines help a nurse maneuver through personal/professional relationships, to give safe and ethical care in an ever-changing healthcare system.…
This assignment is about interviewing a social worker regarding patient assistance program (PAP) with prescription drugs and how she provides assistance to patients in order to get the help they need. This was a face-to-face interview with social worker Theresia at the workplace. She is a qualified professional social worker and appropriate for this assignment.…
The nursing shortage and lack of staffing ratios have created long standing ethical dilemmas as they relate to patient care. Nurses are accountable and responsible for their own morals, decisions and behaviors. Nurses are accountable for judgments made and actions taken in the course of nursing practice, irrespective of healthcare organizations policies or providers' directives which may not always be in the best interest of the patient.…
Confidentiality is central of trust in the doctor-patient relationship. Doctors diagnose and treat sickness based on information given to them by the patient in confidence. Confidentiality is a main condition which allows patients to communicate their symptoms, experience, beliefs, concerns and expectations about their disease and their treatment. Confidentiality is essential to safeguard a patient’s dignity, respect, privacy and autonomy and extends after death. The safeguarding of patient confidentiality is a main principle of medical ethics which dates back to the Hippocratic Oath. Confidentiality is both a patient’s right and a doctor’s duty.…
According to, “The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics”, this document sets standards for nurses. It exemplifies the role of the nurse and duties to be maintained. For instance, patient advocacy is an important factor to the code of ethics. Patient safety is to be a primary goal for the nurse. I believe this is crucial for all nurses to practice. Individuals in the hospital are not necessarily capable of always expressing their needs. Therefore, it is the nurses responsibility to advocate for the patient during times they cannot. For example, one time I was caring for a patient who did not understand their diagnosis. A team of residents came into this person’s room and overwhelmed them with information. Confused, the patient was unable to understand the complexity of the illness. However, I witnessed the nurse advocating for her patient. She stepped in as a voice, making sure the patient’s questions were answered before they left. For a patient it can be quite intimidating when a group of doctors come in talking about a disease process they have never encountered. So, it was satisfying to see the nurse advocate for the patient.…
Provision three states “The nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient” (ANA, 2001). As a nurse I feel it is my duty to advocate for my patients especially when they are naïve to care and services that could better their health, rights and safety.…
In the clinical setting, nurses also encounter ethical dilemmas regarding patient care that do not appear to have a potentially simple solution (Fant, 2012). Such as, a patient’s family…
Advocacy for surgical patients has two preceding events. First there is the circumstance of vulnerability where simply being a patient is to be vulnerable. The patient in his or her susceptible state might be facing conflict or in a situation that requires a decision. Other antecedents include a willing and motivated nurse to take on the responsibility for patient advocacy. Advocacy for patient rights promotes provider accountability and motivates the nurse to be proactive in educating patients and upholding patient rights regardless of the consequences. Patient advocacy is applicable to the perioperative practice environment, for it is during this time that patients experience extreme vulnerability because they often are sedated or anesthetized (Schroeter, June…
What this means to me is that we as nurses are our patients advocates, we are to speak for them when they can’t. We are to help educate with prevention, preventable injuries, diseases and treatments throughout our community. For a family as a whole, infancy to our elderly. Every single person in our community deserves the opportunity of dedicated nurses to advocate for them.…
Up holding the patient’s wishes to the best of the nurse’s abilities can seem fairly straight forward. Often, there are situations where this could be hindered by the family, who also have good intentions to protect the patient. Although the nurse may feel strongly to advocate for the patient, in these situations, it becomes difficult to ignore the request of the family who know the patient and have their best interest at heart. This creates an ethical dilemma as to how to approach the situation because there is no clear answer to what would be best for the patient.…
Patients often have a limited knowledge of illness and medicine, yet they desire more control over their healthcare. In many healthcare settings, patient care is inconsistent and "patients' quality of life and right to self-determination tend to be ignored" (Bu & Jezewski, 2006, p. 102). Nurses are in a unique position to "support and thereby advocate the patient's interests in the restoration of their health and well-being" (Marshall, 1994, p. 11). However, this is not always put into practice.…
My duty as a nurse is to promote good and do no harm and respect the patient as the most basic and universal principle. According to the code, my most fundamental accountability is to the patient. In addition, it is my duty to make the most wise and ethical decisions for what is best for the organization. As a leader, I am self-aware of my values and basic beliefs about the rights, duties and goals of human beings. Unfortunately, here utilitarianism of what is best for the common good outweighs what is best for the individual. Mr. Cole has the right to leave against medical advice and it saddens me the issues they may face being denied home health care, however, it is not justified to withhold information from the physician. I could be risking…
Modern healthcare is moving toward a patient-centered care, emphasizing patients’ autonomy, and participation in decision making about treatment. Despite these expectations, patients feel vulnerable not only due to disease process, but also due to the power exerted by the hospital system. Critical care settings often consider patient’s physical needs as the only aspect requiring care. The fast-paced focus and limited time in emergency department make it difficult to attend to the holistic needs of the patient. Physical barriers of the equipment connected to the patient hinder the humanistic view of the patient and the necessary communication for ensuring dignified interactions. The dignity of patients is a major concern in healthcare, and every human being has the right to be treated with respect and dignity. More appreciation and better understanding of dignity is needed among nurses to improve the quality of care. According to Neno (2006), nurses need to continuously improve their skills and competencies to ensure that people are treated with dignity. Patients present to the hospital already vulnerable due to illness, and place their lives in the hands of healthcare professionals. On top of compromised health, hospitalization often creates feelings of loss of control, helplessness, loss of worth, and loss of autonomy. Nurses need to provide quality care, maintaining patients’ dignity, and promoting autonomy and self-worth by showing understanding and respect. Often, patients present confused or unresponsive, not comprehending the world around them. It would seem that such person does not have any dignity. Dignity has to be maintained in the care provided regardless of patient’s knowing or understanding of the place and moment in time.…