Ethical Dilemmas In Nursing And Midwifery

Assessment 2- Case Study Analysis

The problem and ethical considerations to be addressed
Mary’s main concern is whether or not to maintain confidentiality between herself and Sandy or to disclose the information to Mrs Wilson regarding Sandy’s suspected pregnancy. As a health professional, Mary needs to ensure she is making a well-informed ethical decision to guarantee the wellbeing of Sandy is in her best interest. Mary may find conflict in what course of action to take as she needs to determine whether to uphold confidentiality and build a strong therapeutic relationship or if to disclose the information to Mrs Wilson is in the best interest of Sandy’s health and well-being. It is important for Mary to abide by the Nursing and Midwifery
According to the Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia, Nurses are responsible for guaranteeing their decision-making is based on contemporary, relevant and logical knowledge and information and therefore it is important that Mary understands the full circumstances, in order to make a contemporary and logical decision (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
If Mary was to divulge to Mrs Wilson, she risks losing trust, honesty and fidelity with Sandy and therefore harms the therapeutic relationship they have, which in turn, may harm the health of both Sandy and the possible foetus due to the possibility of Sandy becoming reluctant to seek medical treatment. This option also raises unnecessary concerns, as Mary is still unsure if Sandy is definitely pregnant and then in turn may create implications and repercussions for no reason. There is also uncertainty that the safety of the patient will be maintained if Mrs Wilson is told as Mary does not have enough information to ensure there is no domestic circumstances such as child abuse that may be a factor in Sandy’s decision to remain confidential from her