Ethical issues/challenges faced during nursing practice are diverse; ranging from a potential of over-abusing power in position to getting burned out due to over-work to experiencing moral distress over patient suffering resulting from essential clinical practices. For the DNP prepared nurse, a number of issues can arise in the clinical scenario. The foremost of these is the moral burden of watching patients suffer, either before or after nursing intervention. Since the primary objective of nursing is to ensure understanding between the patient and the nurse, and alleviation of patient suffering, any indication to the contrary can be an ethical challenge for the nurse to face. Even though such suffering may be a part of the relief and recovery process, nevertheless, the transition can be demanding mentally.
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 …show more content…
In most setups, the nurse is not allowed enough time to foster a practical relationship with the patient to know more about his/her needs that should be catered to. As a consequence, the nurse may feel compromised, with the burden of not performing the job well or being unjust towards professional commitments. Nurses can also face over-work as a challenge, especially in situations where their work requires them to deliver more than they are capable of.
Sources:
Fant, C. (2012, August 31). Major Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing. [Weblog]. Retrieved from http://www.nursetogether.com/ethical-dilemmas-in-nursing
Milton, C. L. (2010). Nursing ethics and power in position. Nursing Science Quarterly, 23(1), 18–21.
Wood, D. (2013, September 12). The Top Ethical Challenges for Nurses. [Weblog]. Retrieved from