Ethics is extremely important in any professional job, especially that of healthcare providers. Ethics, related to the medical field, looks at six key aspects. According to Ethics in palliative care the six components include autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, dignity, and honesty (Mohanti, 2009). It is important to note that these components are pertinent in all of ethical nursing care, and not just palliative care.
Ethical decision making related to nursing student The foundation of nursing starts in the nursing program as a student. This is where not only the future nurse learns the physical skills of becoming a nurse, but learns the ethics behind the practice as well. Teaching ethics to nursing students …show more content…
A nurse may have questions about ethics and or need assistance in guiding ethical decisions related to nursing and the nursing practice. Professional nursing organizations such as the American Nurses Association aid the nurse in making ethical decisions. Not only that, but the ethical guidelines are constantly being updated so the nurse can rest assured that the ethical guidelines are relevant. An important ethic to consider is the right of privacy and confidentiality that the patient deserves. The third provision of the Nursing Code of Ethics discussed by the American Nurses Association discusses how the nurse advocates for not only the safety of the patient, but their rights and health as well (Brown, Lachman, and Swanson, 2015, p.270). It is a patient right to have their information only shared with those that are medically necessary or that the patient wishes to share the information with. This means that a nurse should not discuss health information with those that do not need to know. If a nurse were to discuss a patient in the elevator, a visitor in that elevator will also be privy to hearing this private information and this would be a breach in confidentiality. It is ethically wrong to gossip about a patient’s situation. It is unprofessional and as a profession, nurses should hold themselves and each other to a higher …show more content…
It is the nurse’s duty to be an advocate for the patient and to consider what is best for them while allowing them the autonomy to make educated decisions for themselves. As described earlier, nurse may be involved in an ethical dilemma that the nurse doesn’t necessarily agree with due to her own religious background, but that nurse must still give that patient care that allows autonomy, dignity, and beneficence. The Christian nurse may have their own set of guidelines on what is ethically appropriate, but overall the nurse should refer to the code of ethics set out by the nursing