Nurses are faced with ethical issues and dilemmas on a regular basis. Nurses must understand his or her values and morals to be able to deal adequately with the ethical issues he or she is faced with. Some ethical issues nurses are exposed to may be more difficult than others and the ethical decision making process is learned over time.
The purpose of this paper is to identify the ethical issues in the case study provided in the week one assignment. A discussion of how to use ethical principles to address the issues presented in the case study will be covered within the paper. A description of conflicts of this nursing student’s personal values and the ethical principles applied in this case study. The paper will describe how the ethical situation may be handled in a different healthcare setting. An identification of a professional nursing organization and describe how this organization incorporates its ethical principles into the organizations practice.
An ethical issue identified in the case study starts with the possibility of child abuse either by the mother or an employee of the daycare center. The nurse expressed her concerns to the physician that the child may have been injured and the lack of follow-up with these concerns is an ethical issue. Why was a social worker or child protective services not called to address the possibility of child abuse? Investigating how an eighth month old child fractured both femurs is needed to protect this child’s rights. Nurses’ have a responsibility and are governed by law to report suspected abuse to the proper authorities.
A nurse should learn to apply the eight ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmalcficence, veracity, fidelity, justice, paternalism, and respect for others (Guido, 2006, pg. 1). Advocating for patients is one of the ethical principles nurses are responsible for in his or her nursing practice. Since this eight-month-old child is not able to speak up for