Ethics Case Study: An Eight Month Old Infant

Ethics Case Study
Julie A Daily

August 23, 2010

Ethics Case Study This ethical case study involves an eight month old infant that has been injured. After arriving at the emergency department it is noted that the infant has bilateral fractured femurs. The physician in this case has decided after speaking with the mother that this case is not one of abuse and therefore should not be reported. Why do we have a code of ethics in the medical profession? We as health care professionals need to understand our morals and ethical standards. “Ethics are internal to oneself; values, beliefs, and individual interpretation.” Guido (2010). The physician in this study has decided on his own that there has been no wrong doing
here with this infant. The ethical dilemma could be resolved through the ethical decision-making framework. According to Guido (2010) ethical decision making involves reflection on the following questions: 1. Who should make the choice? 2. What are the possible options or courses of action? 3. What are the available options or alternatives? 4.
What are the consequences, both good and bad, of all possible options? 5. Which rules, obligations, and values should direct choices? 6. What are the desired goals and outcomes? (Guido, 2006, p.8) We as nurse need to combine all these elements in a systematic orderly manner and to be objective about it. Looking at the entire picture and putting the pieces together to come to a conclusion is what we as medical professionals do daily in our jobs. The mother of the infant child did not provide enough information for the medical professionals to make an accurate conclusion of what or how the infant was injured. More data collection was needed and the nurse and physician could have asked more questions.

The nurse conducted herself appropriately and assessed the patient and reported her findings to the ER physician. The nurse is bound by her licensure to serve and protect her patients. This nurse should have discussed with the physician the reporting of “alleged” abuse. There is no need for the medical staff to consider that this was abuse neither by the family nor by the child care provider. It is not for the medical team to decide who is at fault or if there is a reasonable explanation for the
injury. Medical professionals are members of a very diverse workforce that are advocates for patients with health care issues. These patients all have different values and morals and we as the care givers need to be comfortable with our decisions in the best interest of our patients. This case study represents that there is a fine line within our working profession as to whether we as the care givers should contact authorities regarding the injuries of this infant.
There are different scenarios to think about in this case and whether the proper authorities should be notified. This infant may have fallen out of a crib at the day care facility while in their care. The infant could have been hit by someone, or the unthinkable and the infant may have been abused at home. We are the medical team caring for patients not the authorities that bring criminals to justice. It is our duty to relay adequate information to the authorities that we are told or acquire in the course of a conversation with patients families. Education within our work environments with the staff and those ancillary departments is essential for the ethical, moral dilemmas to be handled appropriately by the medical team. Ethical committees can provide a lot of educational benefits to our medical staff and ancillary departments as well as being there for support and help when needed. Being patient advocates empowers nurses to speak loudly, clearly and strongly for our patients. We also are there to help the patient discuss their needs and desires and help them make the choices that are most appropriate for them to reach their optimal medical goal of
wellness. This case study has put these medical professionals in a moral and ethical stress that I am sure many of us have encountered in our careers as nurses. The physician may have truly believed that there was no deliberate injury. The nurse on the other hand may have been concerned of this possible abuse and may have been torn as to whether or not she should approach her ER physician with her concerns. This would and should be the time that the nurse and the physician approach their ethical committee for advice and guidance. There is no right or wrong answer here just appropriate channels that we as professionals need to follow to ensure the safest environments for our patients.

Reference: 1. Guido, G. W. (2010). Legal and Ethical Issues in Nursing (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. 2. Judson, K. & Harrison, C. ( 2010). Law & Ethics for Medical Careers (5th ed.). New York, NY 3. Guidance for Writing a Code of Ethics website: (www.ethicsweb.ca/codes/coe2.htm) Retrieved August 22, 2010