Examples of ethical issues in mental health nursing. Ethical Issues in Mental Health Nursing 2022-11-05
Examples of ethical issues in mental health nursing
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Mental health nursing involves the care and treatment of individuals with mental illness, and as with any area of healthcare, it is important for mental health nurses to uphold ethical standards and practices. In this essay, we will explore some examples of ethical issues that may arise in mental health nursing and how these can be addressed.
One common ethical issue in mental health nursing is the issue of informed consent. This refers to the process of ensuring that patients are fully informed about their treatment options and the potential risks and benefits of each, and that they are able to make an informed decision about their care. This can be particularly challenging in the context of mental health, as many individuals may not have the capacity to fully understand or make decisions about their treatment due to the nature of their illness. In these cases, it may be necessary for the nurse to work closely with the patient's family or legal guardian to ensure that the patient's rights are protected and their best interests are upheld.
Another ethical issue that may arise in mental health nursing is the issue of confidentiality. Mental health patients may be particularly vulnerable to stigma and discrimination, and it is important for nurses to protect the privacy and confidentiality of their patients to ensure that they feel safe and supported. This can be challenging in cases where the patient's condition may pose a risk to themselves or others, and the nurse may need to weigh the need to protect the patient's privacy against the need to ensure their safety and the safety of others.
A third ethical issue that may arise in mental health nursing is the issue of autonomy and autonomy. Mental health patients may have limited capacity to make decisions about their own care, and it may be necessary for nurses to make decisions on their behalf. This can be challenging, as it may involve balancing the patient's rights and best interests with the need to provide effective treatment and support. In these cases, it is important for the nurse to involve the patient as much as possible in the decision-making process and to respect their autonomy and dignity.
In conclusion, mental health nursing involves the care and treatment of individuals with mental illness, and it is important for nurses to uphold ethical standards and practices in this area. Some examples of ethical issues that may arise include the issue of informed consent, confidentiality, and autonomy and dignity. By addressing these issues in a thoughtful and compassionate manner, mental health nurses can ensure that their patients receive the best possible care and support.
Ethical Issues in Mental Health Nursing Essay Example
Example 18: Questioning Physician Orders Scenario: Mr. Ethics can be seen as the study of human conduct and morality Buka 2008. Nurses often develop close relationships with their peers, which makes deciding to report errors or omissions difficult. If you try to avoid ethical dilemmas, you will most likely face discipline from your supervisor or, in extreme cases, even a lawsuit which can lead to loss of licensure. Common Ethical Situations for Nurse Managers and Nursing Ethics Examples Even though nursing is a fast-paced job with new challenges daily, many nurse managers report facing similar ethical dilemmas. Nurses who practice beneficence without respect for the patient's autonomy may end up performing acts that do not benefit the patient.
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Legal And Ethical Issues In Mental Health Nursing Nursing Essay
Such challenges make experienced nurse managers all the more critical to daily healthcare needs nationwide. What Is an Ethical Dilemma In Nursing? The best-case scenario would be if you could safely substitute the medication with another one. This type of decision is based upon a system of ethical behavior. What are the six ethical issues? This analysis focuses on whether and how the statements in these eight codes specify core moral norms Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-Maleficence, and Justice , core behavioral norms Veracity, Privacy, Confidentiality, and Fidelity , and other norms that are empirically derived from the code statements. Some ethical dilemmas can have serious legal ramifications.
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If Michael is recognized as competent in decision-making, the conflict about how much his autonomy relates to his well-being remains open. Conclusion: There are four key points from the NC 2008 code which indicates guidance which can be applied to the scenario. Example 9: Former Patients - To Date or Not to Date? Nurses and other professionals, such as midwives and health visitors make decisions everyday and often they face the argument of what is ethical practice Illicit et al 2010. Samantha's doctor is concerned that continuing the pregnancy can cause her heart condition to worsen and could result in a life-threatening emergency. Treatment of the wounds has been unsuccessful, and Mr. In addition, counselors should point out to clients not to use electronic communication for emergencies. Exacerbating the problem is the large number of inexperienced nurses entering the field, many who have never faced ethical issues in nursing.
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Ethical Dilemmas in Mental Health Nursing
Due to lost opportunities and not seeing prospects for the future, Michael is experiencing depression. The nurses should just provide the regular drug dosage for the harmless elderly population in the care homes and any patient presenting with violent tendencies to be recommended to psychiatric institutions. The DNR is included in their medical chart, and you must respect it. In addition, as a health visitor, she would have a practitioner patient relationship which she would need to maintain. In this article, I will share the 20 most common examples of ethical dilemmas in nursing and offer some insight into handling them. To help determine whether Anita has capacity, The Mental Capacity Act 2005 sets out a two stage functional approach.
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Legal And Ethical Issues In Mental Health Nursing Essay
Wilhite is a 74-year-old woman with a diagnosis of Stage IV breast cancer with metastasis to the lungs. The result could be declines in the quality of patient care; problematic clinical relationships; and moral distress, which is defined as knowing the right thing to do but not being allowed or able to do it. If a situation involves doing something right and wrong at the same time and one of those actions negatively impacts the other action, this is what creates the dilemma. Should the decision to treat Anita for her self harm regardless of her wishes have gone ahead, there may have been a risk of impacting on the nurse-patient therapeutic relationship. Following a wider team discussion around whether Anita understood the severity of the wound, thus having capacity to make a decision to refuse treatment, the Responsible Clinician RC spoke to Anita and attempted to persuade her to have the wound sutured.
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Ethical Issues in Nursing: Explanations & Solutions
However this may not feel entirely comfortable for the nurse. If the patient does not fully understand what the nurse is saying, the nurse should notify the doctor and ask him to explain the procedure, including anticipated outcomes and risks again. In the given dilemma, the baby is most at need of assistance as it cannot take care of itself. Example 19: Asked to Work in a Department Without Training Scenario: Charge Nurse Hale assigned Nurse Mary to work on the post-partum floor due to a shortage of nursing staff there. Our Final Thoughts Nursing and ethical dilemmas come hand-in-hand, so whether you are an aspiring nurse reading about challenges you might face or a licensed nurse wondering if they are the only ones dealing with such puzzles, know that you are not alone. The kinds of adaptations we see happening now may lead to positive changes in inpatient units that will persist beyond the pandemic. Psychopathology, 51 6 , 371-379.
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Ethical Issues in Mental Health Nursing
In this scenario, Mrs. Example 3: Empirical Knowledge vs. Only patients who test negative are admitted to the psychiatry unit, where additional precautions are implemented, but group treatment is possible. As a health visitor she has a duty of care to protect both parties, however, the interests of the child comes first RCA, 2008, DO 2004, DOCS 2010. In most cases, physicians will change the order when a medication is contraindicated. Morris and their children are skeptical about telling Mr.
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Ethical issues in mental health Article Example
When considering ethical issues, it is advised that you follow a stepwise approach in your decision-making process: Recognize there is an issue. That is the pro-choice vs. Respect for autonomy flows from the recognition that all persons have unconditional worth, each having the capacity to determine his or her own moral destiny. Due to the pregnancy, the risk of patient A worsening their condition is high. Black is the father and sole-guardian of five-year-old twins who are preparing to start Kindergarten.
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What Are The Ethical Issues In Mental Health
Here are 20 most common examples of ethical dilemmas in nursing and tips on how to deal with each one of them. How can we maintain a group milieu while isolating potentially infectious patients? Share this: Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn WhatsApp This assignment aims to critically appraise an ethical conflict in relation to the care provided to a patient. We all know the ancient Greeks were fond of contemplating everything in life. It can be even more challenging for patients with poor literacy levels. Offering a client a worse product for your own profit. Counselors must realize that they are responsible for educating their clients on the appropriate ways to use electronic communication; otherwise, failure to do so may lead to the counselor being blamed when something goes wrong such as a breach of confidentiality. Pro-Choice Scenario: Samantha is a 28-year-old college student who is eighteen weeks pregnant.
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