Ethical Dilemmas In Nursing

Humans often struggle to find the right answers in life. Knowing the difference between right and wrong is not always easy and one can be overwhelmed with the problems and ethical issues surrounding them. As a future healthcare professional, it is imperative to understand the role that ethics plays in nursing and how ethical dilemmas impact individuals. There are countless complex ethical issues that confront nurses during their careers and it is crucial they understand where their own values and beliefs lie. Euthanasia, DNR’s, end of life care, privacy, stem cell research and restraints are all great examples of some common ethical issues. “While there are many challenges facing nurses in the work environment (nursing short-age, mandated

Maintenance of sufficient nutrition is an essential part of the treatment process for any patient admitted to the hospital. Early identification of patients who have a decreased nutrition status or have nutritional deficits helps to increase healing and overall improves the quality of life for a patient. Nutrition is more than just general food; it includes the overall amounts of

The Evidence Analysis Library is an online resource of a combination of nutritional research providing guidance in making evidence based decisions; providing answers with given grades that indicate overall strength or weakness of such conclusion. Other useful resources available from AND are the Nutrition Care Manual that help practitioners increase the use of the problem solving method such as the nutrition care process. One important, indispensible tool is the International Dietetics and Nutrition Terminology (IDNT) that enforces standardized language across all the RDs. The IDNT’s main function is to describe and document the RDs practice of care in medical records, coding and billing. Positions papers from AND represent the academy’s current stand point, such as goals, mission, values and strategies. Such decisions are generated from current data, facts and research literature available. Position papers may be redacted or replaced as new evidence is being generated, in attempt to keep up with current

By creating these small adjustments in the patient’s nutritional care, the patient’s independence and dignity are maintained. The patient, such as a stroke patient in rehabilitation, may also be reluctant to take an active role in their nutritional care so firm encouragement by the carer is needed. The presentation and availability of food and drink must also be assessed to deliver person-centred care (BAPEN REF). Patients may forego food if it looks unappetizing so it is important to serve meals that are visually appealing. Serving appetizing meals may also protect against malnutrition (BAPEN REF). Although protected mealtimes ensure that food and drink is given to every patient with minimal distraction, some patients may become hungry or thirsty in the hours between meals. Making food, like sandwiches or toast, and water available to patients may reduce the risk of malnutrition and dehydration and improve patients’ wellbeing (BAPEN REF). Good nutritional care achieved by person-centred practice means not only reducing risk of malnutrition and fluid imbalance but improving the patient’s quality of life,

Patient malnutrition is a very real and serious matter; it can lead to a worsening of the patient's

The ethical dilemma to be faced in this situation is the one between the ethical principles of beneficence and veracity. Beneficen ce is the ethical nursing principle that defines the concept

The article titled “Is there adequate feeding assistance” by Tsang is about elderly patients who are elderly and observe those patients at different meal times. Tsang (2008) stated, “Poor nutritional intake and undernourishment has been documented in as many as 61% of hospitalized elderly patients” (p. 222). There have been other studies done that show that elderly patients are at a specific risk of malnutrition because of high food wastage (Tsang, 2008). One reason for malnutrition was due to the patient not having adequate eating assistance. The goals of this study were to observe the patients during mealtimes and determine what time of assistance is needed, explore if the patients are receiving enough assistance at mealtimes, and evaluate

It is the nurse responsibility to commence nutritional assessments to Mr. Hopkins. Performing nutritional assessment to the patient is important so that the nurse can determine the type, quantity and the frequency of the food eaten by the patient. According to Watson and colleagues (2006) that the patient who eat less than 2 meals a day is at risk of malnutrition. The malnutrition defines as ‘badly nourished’ but it is more than measure of what the patient eat, or fail to eat. Clinically, malnutrition is characterized by inadequate intake of protein, energy, and micronutrients and by frequent infection or disease (WHO Expert Consultation 2004). The nurse has to obtain information about Mr. Hopkins’ appetite, food preferences, height, weight, level of activity and observe his general appearance that will help the nurse to assess his nutritional status. A patient with a poor nutritional status can experience irritability, lethargy, apathy or inability to concentrate and it is possible that these symptoms is related to his underlying condition. It is important to maintain and promote an appropriate intake of food and the patient should be encouraged to follow the principles of a balanced healthy diet. Eating a balanced diet is vital for good health and wellbeing. The nurse has to encourage the patient to eat small nutritious meals frequently to maintain his energy

Both treatment groups must have com- pared the same amount of enteral feeding (mL/kg/d) prescribed over a 24-hour period. The research followed the ethic of protection from harm. The infants in this study are protected from harm. They are still getting feedings whether continuous or bolus. The infants get the same amount of food whether it is delivered through intermittent bolus or continuous feedings. They are getting the food either over time or getting a certain amount at different times in the day. They are getting research to help to prevent GORD, which prevents future babies from harm. The infants also have confidentiality. No names of the infants are mentioned. The research in this article links any infant to any name. With no names being mentioned, the infants are able to have the ethic of confidentiality that lets them feel safe in that they won’t have to worry about later on in their life their name being in research. This research has two very important ethics in it, which helps the participant, or in this case the parents, feel more comfortable being involved in the

The paper will examine and appraise a teaching session that I planned and implemented as a nursing student on a cardiology ward, in the form of a reflection what? So what? Now what? (Bortons, 1970). The aim of the teaching session is to provide up to date and relevant information to enable individuals to make an informed choices on there nutritional intake.

The case study briefly explains a situation between daughter and father regarding the father’s health. As a nurse, this can be very difficult to tackle due to the conflict between the father and the daughter. The main concerning situation is the father’s health, he has been admitted to the hospital three times within 6 months. The

Nurses rely on personal knowledge and their professional skills to provide ethical care (Creasia & Friberg, 2011). In everyday practice, nurses must balance the needs of their patients against those of the organization, society and themselves. They strive to deliver the highest level of care for patients, but adjusting for limited organizational and personal resources often requires difficult decisions. This paper explores the following scenario suggested by Maville and Huerta: “You are a nurse providing home care to a mother, and you suspect child abuse after observing the mother’s reaction to her child” (as cited by Arizona State University, 2014). When faced with a moral dilemma, a competent nurse incorporates ethical, bioethical and legal considerations. In the proposed story, incorporating the nursing ethics of advocacy, beneficence, nonmaleficence and collaboration will guide the nurse towards an appropriate and legal course of action.

(2013), malnutrition is an everyday problem among hospitals. Any nutrition balance that affects both overweight and underweight patients that is commonly defined as under nutrition or over nutrition is considered malnutrition (Dorland`s Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 2011). There are many things that nutrition can affect, including patient outcomes, length of hospital stay, adverse costs, re-admission, and finally mortality rates (Tapenden et. al, 2013). Correct strategies can prevent unfavorable outcomes in regards to malnutrition to occur.

Intro For many people, death is a transition into a different order of the universe, which is called spirituality. All religions are a form of spirituality, but not everyone who is spiritual is religious. As nurses, we must delicately try to understand how we can best ease a patient’s transition to death by maintaining their dignity and spiritual beliefs. Nursing is science based in the practice and artform of genuinely caring for people as whole beings on a metaphysical plane of existence (Vance, 2003).

The complex problem of poor nutrition in hospitals needs major improvements. Media coverage have arose their stories of hungry patients, lack of assistance with eating and drinking resulting in many of the patients being constantly ignored. Many of the patients who experience this are older people. In fact, today beds in all acute hospital specialties are mainly occupied by people aged more than 65 (Department of Health (DH), 2001). This issue has been ongoing and addressed by the Department of health (DH) (2007), which focuses on areas for improvements and making the health care system more proficient for patients. All health care professionals need to access the nutritional needs of patients and the importance of nutrition in