Ethical Issues in Public Health Nursing

Topic: Medical Ethics
Words: 285 Pages: 1

The ethical issue I encountered while delivering health promotion strategies to patients is informed consent requiring healthcare providers to deliver necessary and complete information about interventions, promote autonomy, and avoid any forms of biases towards individuals. Moreover, this principle stipulates that patients can refuse treatments or tests based on religious or other reasons. Due to informed consent, medical professionals and patients have a better opportunity to develop a relevant plan for personalized medical care (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2016). In particular, many patients are illiterate regarding complicated medical terms and become confused, which can considerably complicate the main treatment or even delay surgeries. In this regard, my primary role was connected with explaining to patients their treatments and receipts prescribed by physicians to facilitate patients’ compliance with their health promotion plans. Besides, when I had to work with minors, I attempted to explain the benefits of specific treatment for their parents or guardians who were responsible for informed consent.

Concerning the ethical decision-making process, I have pivoted on Principlism that, to my mind, is the most appropriate to the healthcare environment. This concept first assumes determining the principles, including respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, suitable for particular controversial or complicated situations (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2016). Secondly, Principlism’s requirement states that I should analyze principle, considering contexts and pertinent circumstances. Finally, this theory demands acting in accordance with chosen principles and factors. In my cases, I primarily focus on nonmaleficence and beneficence when providing patients with needed information because these tenets should be put at the forefront while delivering care, especially making critical decisions. However, when persons were inclined to reject propositions on specific intervention, I respected their autonomy despite that I did not like this.

Reference

Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2016). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (9th ed.). Elsevier.

Ethical Committee Enforcing Patient’s Advance Directives
Utilitarian Case Study