Ethical Dilemma in Nursing

Nurses face ethical challenges daily during their practice. Each situation is unique, and it requires the nurse to set aside their values and beliefs to care for their patients properly. Situations requiring the nurse to make an ethical decision within the practice area are diverse and dynamic. However, the code set by the American Nurses Association (ANA) code of ethics remains the same (Varkey, 2021). Some ethical issues and dilemmas that abound in nursing include balancing between clients’ right to autonomy,  and the legal and ethical rights relevant to nursing care. Therefore, a nurse should be aware of all kinds of dilemmas they may encounter during their profession and how they can deal with them based on how they were dealt with in the past. Initially, the nurses need to know the difference between law and ethics. Ethics distinguishes the values and actions of the people.

Clients’ Right to Autonomy

Patients’ autonomy refers to the right of a patient to make decisions independently about their care based on their beliefs and values (Lamont-Mills, Christensen, & amp; Moses, 2018). It is a code of ethics that gives patients the right to refuse medication, treatments, or procedures that do not align with their values and beliefs or they do not find right. However, in some cases, nurses might find themselves in a conflicting situation about a patient’s right to autonomy and what the nurses or other health care workers believe is best.

For instance, caring for patients with cardiac disease when pregnant can be challenging for the nurse. It can raise ethical issues in balancing patients’ autonomy with their safety and well-being. During my research, I read about a patient named Samantha. Samantha is a twenty-six-year-old pregnant lady working in the nearby cafeteria and is seventeen weeks pregnant. She has a history of Cardiovascular disease (CVD), which has worsened over her pregnancy period. Her doctor is worried if she continues with the pregnancy, it might worsen her heart condition leading to a life-threatening emergency. Therefore, the doctor recommended the termination of the pregnancy within the next two weeks. However, based on Samantha’s beliefs, she believes that abortion is wrong, and she believes that God will heal her, so she is hesitant with the procedure. During their conversation, Samantha asked the nurse what she could do in her position. The nurse does not believe in abortion either, but he believes in protecting the health and lives of the patients. That brings the nurse into confusion because letting Samantha carry on with the pregnancy might cause their lives. Also, terminating the pregnancy will be going against Samantha’s autonomy.

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Nurse Practitioner Ethical Dilemma

Nurse Practitioner Ethical Dilemma

The Ethical Dilemma and The Impact on Patients, Nursing Practice, And the Research Process

Patients rely on nurses for their decisions regarding health and wellness. In some cases, the medical necessity for the patient contradicts the patient’s morals and beliefs (Lamont-Mills, Christensen, & amp; Moses, 2018). For instance, in such a scenario, the nurse preferred they terminate the pregnancy to save Samantha. On the other hand, Samantha wants to keep the pregnancy because she believes God will heal her. It is so common for patients to tell them what decision is best for their health. However, ethical dilemmas occur when the patient’s options differ from those of the doctors. That kind of dilemma can impact the patient’s health because if the nurse decides to let Samantha keep the baby, both can die because when her heart rate gets too high, it will be unable to keep the baby breathing, so both Samantha and the baby can die.

A patient must provide informed consent to the healthcare workers before receiving any medical treatment for it to be considered ethical and legal. If the nurse acts against the patient’s autonomy, the procedure can be considered an assault or murder if the patient dies due to the treatment. As a nurse, having informed consent means that all the patient has agreed to the treatment option with full knowledge of its risks and benefits, and in case of anything, the nurse will not be liable (Lamont-Mills, Christensen, & amp; Moses, 2018).   Based on our scenario, the dilemma will impact the nurse’s practice as he will lack confidence in his treatment plan. Autonomy from the patient makes the nurse feel respected, has stronger decision-making skills, and improves the clinical experience for the nurse and other clinical officers.

Autonomy is fundamental in nursing practice, and it is essential in the profession. When a nurse lacks autonomy from the patient, it becomes hard to use their professional knowledge and judgment to make decisions fit for the patient’s health. For nurses to exert full control of their practice, they should be aware of whether the condition allows them to practice autonomy. Operational autonomy is important in research because it has a positive effect on job satisfaction and the well-being of the patients.

Research Question

If a client’s life is in jeopardy, just like Samantha in our previous discussion, the nurse is obliged to provide safety for the client to avoid abandonment. If the nurse decides to go against the client’s wish, will he be acting against the nursing code of ethics?

How to Deal with this Ethical Dilemma

According to the American nurse association (ANA) position on reproductive health, every patient has the right to autonomy regarding their health based on full information from the nurse and without coercion (McCradden, Joshi, Anderson, Mazwi, & Goldenberg, et al., 2020). Based on our research question, if the nurse decides to go against the client’s wish, he will act against the nursing code of ethics, leading to legal cases. Nurses are supposed to provide all relevant information to the patient without bias and support the patient’s choice regardless of their decisions. ANA also affirms that nurses have the right to refuse participation in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care based on ethical grounds if they are not assured about the patient’s safety and there are no alternative arrangements for care.

Based on our research question, the nurse should not share with the patient her personal beliefs and opinions regarding abortion as that will be providing the client with biased information. Instead, the nurse should express her concern about keeping the baby and encourage her to talk to her significant other, spiritual adviser, and any other person who could be of help in deciding to seek advice (McCradden, Joshi, Anderson, Mazwi, & Goldenberg, et al., 2020). That will help the patient develop a decision fit for her so that the nurse does not act against the nursing code of ethics. The nurse should also make follow-ups with other physicians before the time period ends to discuss the possible options before performing the procedure.

One Advantage Information Technology May Have on this Ethical Dilemma

Information technology has evolved over the past few years. While it continues to evolve, so do the decisions healthcare workers and IT managers should face (Glueckauf, Maheu, Drude, Wells, & Wang, et al., 2018). In such an ethical dilemma, information technology can help do more research regarding an ethical dilemma, which can help come up with alternative solutions.

In conclusion, the healthcare profession can be complex, and therefore ethical principles are required to provide the best practices. Four ethical principles govern the healthcare profession, each with a unique objective (Varkey, 2021). These healthcare ethics helps healthcare professionals view complex issues and make recommendations to ensure patients get high-quality, ethical care and not hurt patients. Due to the dynamic environment of healthcare, these principles were created to support professionals as they navigate patientcare.

References

Lamont-Mills, A., Christensen, S., & Moses, L. (2018). Confidentiality and informed consent in counseling and psychotherapy: a systematic review. Melbourne: PACFA, 1-16.

Glueckauf, R. L., Maheu, M. M., Drude, K. P., Wells, B. A., Wang, Y., Gustafson, D. J., & Nelson, E. L. (2018). Survey of psychologists& telebehavioral health practices: Technology use, ethical issues, and training needs. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 49(3), 205.

McCradden, M. D., Joshi, S., Anderson, J. A., Mazwi, M., Goldenberg, A., & Zlotnik Shaul, R. (2020). Patient safety and quality improvement: Ethical principles for a regulatory approach to bias in healthcare machine learning. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 27(12), 2024-2027.

Varkey, B. (2021). Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice. Medical

Principles and Practice, 30(1), 17-28.

Ethical Dilemma in Nursing Read More »

For this assignment, students will identify an ethical dilemma

For this assignment, students will identify an ethical dilemma

For this assignment, students will identify an ethical dilemma and write a position paper on an ethical topic a nurse may face in practice, education, leadership, health informatics technology, and/or with various nurse’s positions. Examples of ethical dilemmas can be found on the American Nurses Association (ANA) Ethics link in the Week 6 Module.

Assignment Criteria

1. Identify a selected ethical dilemma that requires a masters prepared nurse to take a nursing position on.

2. Describe the ethical dilemma and the impact on patients (clients), nursing practice, and the research process.

3. Compose a research question related to the ethical dilemma.

4. Formulate a position on this ethical dilemma

5. Discuss one (1) advantage information technology may have on this ethical dilemma.

6. The scholarly paper should be in narrative format, four (4) to five (5) pages excluding the title and reference page.

7. Include an introductory paragraph, purpose statement, and a conclusion.

8. Include level 1 and 2 headings to organize the paper.

9. Write the paper in third person, not first person (meaning do not use ‘we’ or ‘I’) and in a scholarly manner. To clarify: I, we, you, me, our may not be used. In addition, describing yourself as the researcher or the author should not be used.

10. Include a minimum of four (4) professional peer-reviewed scholarly journal references to support the paper (review in Ulrich Periodical Directory) and be less than five (5) years old.

11. APA format is required (attention to spelling/grammar, a title page, a reference page, and in-text citations).

Requirements: 4-5 pages   |   .doc file

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Case Study- Apple Inc

Case Study- Apple Inc 

In Stage I (Discussion questions), your analysis will be geared toward responding to several questions related to the assigned case. This will require you to go beyond the rational analysis and provide you with more flexibility and freedom in formulating your answers, where you are not strictly bound by rational choices, as is the case with the SWOT matrix. This is to recognize that an organization is not an entirely rational entity but a dynamic one (e.g., actions are taken based on rational as well as other considerations), that a SWOT is not likely to capture all the nuances of an organization, and that considerations beyond what the data/facts indicate (e.g., organizational politics, wisdom of the strategic manager, factors that are not apparently visible, etc.,), all of which may play an important role in the formulation of a strategy. For example, a SWOT matrix may not touch on or provide a satisfactory answer to the type of questions, such as: How would you describe Steve Job’s leadership philosophy? Or what was the impact of the founder’s philosophy on the corporate culture, and does it help or hurt the corporation?

As Joseph Bower, Harvard Business School Professor and case author, mentioned, “We seek also, via the classroom case discussion process, to educate in the non-logical—that mixture of feeling and sentiment, comment and commitment, certainty and uncertainty—that goes into every decision and judgment. Such directed group discussion force attention to the human dimensions through which the analytic framework is filtered in real life. It serves further to emphasize the ongoing or process nature of the general manager’s world.’’ The Stage I is intended to complement the outcomes obtained based on a SWOT analysis process and add additional perspectives to the analysis

  • How sustainable is Apple’s competitive position in PCs?
  • What are the prospects for the iPad?

Requirements: 3 pages

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Sustainability of Apple’s Competitive Position in PCs

Sustainability of Apple’s Competitive Position in PCs

Apple Inc. is among the Big Five companies in America in Information Technology alongside other companies: Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon. Since it was founded in April 1976 by Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, and Ronald Wayne, the company has been striving to produce personal computers and other products of the best quality and with unique and innovative features that appeal to the users (Yoffie & Kim, 2014). From the beginning, Apple adopted a differentiation strategy making it unique in the personal computer market. Apart from adopting a differentiation strategy, Apple’s products are always customer-oriented, leading to strong customer loyalty. This is one factor that has provided a sustainable competitive advantage for the company over other players in the industry.

Apple’s personal computers are one of a kind, and this has enabled the company to create a brand image that is incomparable to any. Apple produces personal computers used in the United States and different countries worldwide. The company has been building a wide range of PCs under the Macintosh or Mac name. According to Yoffie & Kim (2014), the first personal computer that was produced by the company was the iMac. iMac cost $1,299 and was one of the best in the market. It supported different plug-and-play peripherals such as printers which was a unique feature at the time. Some of the famous PCs in the United States include MacBook, Mac Pro, and iMac. To remain at the top and competitive, the company has been developing new versions of the Mac products that resonate with the customers’ needs and wants. The latest versions include new features such as better Intel processors, a new keyboard, and Touch Bar designs.

The mega-success of Macintosh is majorly based on its innovativeness and simplicity, where it has been breaking most of the conventional codes in the computer and technology industry globally. Apple is also a symbol of status, and this has also enabled the company to remain competitive and relevant in the industry. Owning an Apple personal computer is associated with being rich and of high status. To create this image, Apple has been striving to ensure that the customer gets value for their money by providing the quality and features of its unique and incomparable products to others in the market. Most of Apple’s PCs are highly priced, creating a sense of exclusivity and status. Apple’s PCs also work well among other Apple products such as iPhone and Apple Air pods (Yoffie & Kim, 2014). Unlike other Android devices, Apple devices can only pair or connect to other Apple devices, which can also be expensive. Apple’s high pricing of its products enables it to generate more than adequate revenue to invest in Research and Development and the continued production of high-quality and unique products (Yoffie & Kim, 2014). This strategy has enabled and will continue to enable the company to have a long-term sustainable competitive position in the personal computer market in the U.S and globally. According to Yoffie & Kim (2014), Apple’s major strength lies in its ability to easily price its PC at premium prices due to its high quality and unique features. Yoffie & Kim (2014) note that 91% of Apple’s personal computers are priced at $1,000 and more in the United States.

The Prospects of the iPad

It has been the culture of Apple Inc. to release new versions of different and improved versions of some of its products, such as the iPad. The company produces a new and more advanced version of the iPad yearly with better features. The first iPad was produced in 2010, and its price ranged between $499 and $829 (Yoffie & Kim, 2014). This was a bold move by Steve Jobs that was aimed at redefining the industry. The latest iPad is the iPad 9th generation which was released in September of 2021. Some of the features of the iPad include a faster processing speed because it contains a Tri-Core processor (Yoffie & Kim, 2014). The current and previous version of the iPad in 2020 is categorized as the fastest mobile device currently available. Most other features are almost like all different iPad generations previously produced. One of the standard features is the Retina Display introduced by the third-generation iPad. `Retina Display is the 1,536 x 2,048, meaning that the average viewing distance is minimal for an individual pixel making the iPad’s camera clearer than a human eye. The second prospect is the iPad’s multi-touch display feature that enables it to efficiently detect and process different touches on its screen. IPad can easily detect and differentiate between multiple and single finger touching. However, the display sizes change with each model, but the concept remains the same. The third feature prospect is the Motion Co-Processor introduced by the iPad Air. According to Yoffie & Kim (2014), Steve Jobs made sure that was different compared to iPhone and iPod, where he purchased two companies that designed and produced microprocessors for $400 million. This made the iPad to be Apple’s first device to operate on the company’s branded chip known as A4. The A4 chip is designed for the next generation of smart devices like the iPad that need high processing speed and low power consumption (Yoffie & Kim, 2014).   The Motion Co-Processor is mandated to interpret the different motion sensors within the device.

The fourth prospect is the device’s dual-facing cameras introduced by the iPad 2. The back-facing and front-facing cameras enable users to conduct FaceTime video conferencing efficiently, and this feature has been upgraded over the years. The fifth prospect is the high amount of iPad’s flash storage, which ranges between 16GB and 128GB depending on the model. The sixth prospect is the device’s Wi-Fi capabilities which enable it to support all Wi-Fi standards. This capability was introduced by the iPad 2, which introduced the “ac” standard. IPad also supports multiple-in multiple-out ability, referred to as MIMO.

The seventh prospect is the device’s Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity capability. This enables users to send videos and audio content to other Apple devices and speakers or headphones. The eighth prospect is the device’s ability to adjust its camera’s ambient light depending on the amount of light available in an area or a room. This enables users to have more explicit pictures and videos in dark or highly bright areas and allows the device to save on the available battery power. Lastly, iPad has ten hours of battery life, but this differs depending on how the device is being used. This enables users to use the device for a longer time before recharging hence making it convenient for saving on power. According to Yoffie & Kim (2014), the A4 chip makes the current smart devices heavily save on power due to the increased processing speed and other smart features.

References

Yoffie, D. B., & Kim, R. (2014). Apple Inc. in 2010. Harvard Business School.

 

 

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