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1. The document discusses several issues related to health care ethics including: caring for a patient who has had an abortion, respecting a patient's refusal of blood transfusion due to religious beliefs, and appropriate vs. inappropriate disclosure of patient information. 2. In each case, the document emphasizes respecting patient autonomy and prioritizing the patient's right to make their own medical decisions according to their values and beliefs. This includes providing full information and support for the patient's choices, even if the healthcare provider disagrees personally. 3. Disclosure of patient information without consent is deemed inappropriate except when necessary to prevent harm, as in notifying a spouse about a sexually transmitted infection diagnosed in their partner. In

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Kim Rose Sabuclalao
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220 views

Assignment

1. The document discusses several issues related to health care ethics including: caring for a patient who has had an abortion, respecting a patient's refusal of blood transfusion due to religious beliefs, and appropriate vs. inappropriate disclosure of patient information. 2. In each case, the document emphasizes respecting patient autonomy and prioritizing the patient's right to make their own medical decisions according to their values and beliefs. This includes providing full information and support for the patient's choices, even if the healthcare provider disagrees personally. 3. Disclosure of patient information without consent is deemed inappropriate except when necessary to prevent harm, as in notifying a spouse about a sexually transmitted infection diagnosed in their partner. In

Uploaded by

Kim Rose Sabuclalao
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Name: Kim Rose C.

Sabuclalao, RN
Subject: Health Care Ethics
1. Pro-choice versus pro-life. This issue affects nurses personally. Many of the
positions nurses assume in this dilemma are influenced by their own beliefs
and values. How does a nurse care for a patient who has had an abortion?
When the nurse considers abortion murder? Can that nurse with very
opposing values support that patients right to choose her autonomy?
As a nurse practitioner even with very opposing values to abortion, I believe
that utmost due health care must be given to the patient who has had
abortion. The health care that is due may include the necessary health care
interventions, explanation of the procedure, provision of medical information,
maintaining confidentiality and secrecy essential to trust and confidence,
projection of the health care designed to ensure the health and well being of
the patient. We must disregard our own values and beliefs to this matter as
this patient has the right and deserves to receive health care services in
various forms. We must render nursing care to this patient with consideration
that patient has the right to make own decisions and respect her decision
even when those choices seem to the nurse not to be in the clients best
interest. Nurses have no right to impose to impose their values on a client.
2. Empirical knowledge versus personal belief. In these dilemmas, research
based knowledge in nursing practice is contrasted to beliefs gained from
such things as religious beliefs. For example, what should a nurse do when a
patient is admitted to the hospital that desperately needs a transfusion to
live but has the belief that transfusions are unacceptable? The nurse knows
this patient will die without the transfusion. How does the nurse empathize
with the patients family who supports the family members choice and still
be supportive of the patients and familys right to this decision.
Every individual is the master over his own body. Therefore, such an
individual is free to prohibit blood transfusion. What a nurse should do when a
patient is admitted to the hospital that desperately needs a transfusion to
live but has the belief that transfusions are unacceptable is to respect the
patients decision and support their views even when their views are different
from our own. Discussing with the patients wishes, understanding their basis
for their decision, and discussing the risks, benefits, and alternatives is vital
to determine the appropriate and best possible nursing care to the patient
and the family. With this, the nurse exhibits a sense of empathy and support
to the patients and familys right to decision making.
3. Unauthorized vs. authorized disclosure. In this exercise state whether you
think the disclosure of information was appropriate or inappropriate and
defend your position.
3.1 A young woman who states she has just been raped comes into the
emergency room requesting pelvic examination and a morning-pill but insists
that the staff not call the police. The staff reports to the police.
The staff reporting of the incident to the police is inappropriate because it is
unethical for the patients right to confidentiality has been breached. There is

a need to conduct thorough medical investigation that includes health history


taking and physical examination to determine the clients physical, mental,
emotional, social and spiritual condition. This would validate the clients
provided information about the rape incident and her request for pelvic
examination and morning-pill. Understanding the clients basis for her
decision will clarify her insistent not to report to the police. These should
have been taken by the staff before proceeding to the legal aspects.
3. 2 In the case of caring for a patient, a bus driver, the physician notes that
she is at risk for having a heart attack and recommends that she cease
driving as she may be placing the children at risk. The driver asks that the
physician not to notify the school district as it would put her at risk of losing
her job. The physician notifies the school district.
The physician notifying the school district is an inappropriate action because
the bus drivers right to confidentiality and secrecy essential to trust and
confidence has been infringed. The physician could have provided the client
with thorough discussion about the disease condition, risks, medical
management and alternatives available to reverse the clients decision on not
notifying the school district and cease her from driving. The physician can
also ask the patient to seek second medical opinion and discuss with her
family the her medical condition to assist the patient in decision making so
that best possible medical actions will be taken. This may help reverse the
clients decision on not notifying the school district and cease her from
driving at the same time, eliminate the risk of harming the children.
3.3 A couple comes to the emergency room, the wife was complaining of
vaginal discharge and pelvic pain and the husband of urethral discharge. The
tests done on the husband prove positive for gonorrhea and he adamantly
demands that you keep this information from his wife. Her tests will not
become available for two days. Should you tell the wife or maintain the
confidentiality of the husband?
By the reason of the natural bondage of kinship, the wife has the right to
information regarding the husbands condition because any ignorance about
it may give unnecessary damages. However on this scenario, medical
practitioners may take discretion to respect the patients decision to withhold
the information from her wife. At this moment, the patient is not comfortable
to let the significant others know about his gonorrhea. The health care
providers may gradually assist the husband towards decision-making that will
result to his openness to his wife.
1. Some patients following a massive CVA (Stroke) survive the loss of function
within their brain stem. Paralyzed from head to toe, they are locked in the
body and unable to move, but their mind remains intact. In this particular
case the only means the patient had to communicate was by blinking the left
eye. Unable to effectively clear the secretions, these patients are often
subject to life threatening aspiration pneumonia. In order to gain informed
consent for a DNR order should the aspiration pneumonia become severe,
the physician and patient decided upon the mechanism of one blink for a yes
and two for no.

1.1 Do you need to have an informed consent when the patient has this level
of limitation?
Yes, there is a need to have an informed consent when the patient has this
level of limitation because informed consent is the proof of the patients
deliberate and voluntary acceptance of a health care procedure.
1.2 Can this patient be considered competent to make the decision?
No, the patient is not competent to make the decision because he is
physically disabled to ask question regarding the procedure and is difficult to
confirm his understanding of the treatment to be given.
1.3 Can informed consent be given with a blink of an eye? No, the informed
consent cannot be given with a blink of an eye because as one of the factors
of a valid consent is that the person giving the consent must be physically
competent.
111.
1.1 No, it is wrong to accept gifts from patients.
1.2 No, it is not acceptable to own a portion of a diagnostic clinic which
you will refer your patients.
1.3 No, the pharmacist should not criticize a physician if the doctor will
not change the order that is not clearly in the best interest of the
patient.
1.4 The nurse duty when another nurse makes an error is to be the
witness to the co-nurse and act as the patients advocate for the
patient and make sure the mistake is reported to the appropriate
supervisor.
1.5 Yes, you should tell a patient who asks about the quality of specific
medical care that your opinion the physician is a jerk because the
patient has the right to information.

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